Bound by Blood
by blacksakura13
Summary: <html><head></head>Panic taking over, Mukuro started to squirm about. "W-wait! W-we can t-talk about this!" he kicked his legs when the other didn't respond. "T-talk! L-let's talk!" Vampire hibari/mukuro</html>
1. Chapter 1

His light footsteps were the only sound that echoed across the empty foyer of the seemingly abandoned castle.

Mukuro wasn't afraid. After all, he was a monster tamer. Though the fact that he had to join forces with the other monster tamer was something that left an unsettling feeling at the pit of his stomach. He had no other choice, unfortunately, if he wanted to keep his friends safe.

Ever since he was a child he was considered weird. He would rather wander alone in the forests in search of who knows what instead of playing with the other children. His dual colored eyes weren't very helpful either. Because of that, he was shunned by the other children and even their parents whenever he entered their perimeter. He didn't mind.

It was a few weeks after his mother had passed away that he came across a nearly empty clearing, a new place that he hadn't explored yet, that he met one of his closest friends, Chrome the mummy. He had been warned by his mother ages ago that he shouldn't go near the monsters. They were evil creatures with only one intention in mind: to wreak havoc among the peaceful town folks.

He approached the bandaged clad girl fearlessly, completely ignoring his mother's words of heed. He tapped her shoulder, a friendly smile plastered across his face. "Hello" he greeted. "My name is Mukuro Rokudo."

The girl let out a squeak, quickly running to hide behind a tree.

His eyes were wide with slight shock at her reaction. Curiously and slowly, he approached the girl again. "I mean you no harm," he called gently. "I just want to ask a few questions." He was in front of the tree now, waiting hopefully for the girl to come out.

She peeked from behind the tree, lips quivering and eyes shining. "D-do you really m-mean it?" she asked.

Mukuro bowed lowly. "Yes. I promise," he said before standing back up. "Would you care to converse with me?" he asked kindly.

He was very fond of her. She was so sweet and kind that it angered him when he found out that many times some supposedly 'peaceful' villagers tried to be rid of this girl when she ha done nothing wrong. He swore one warm afternoon, when he found her sleeping peacefully under the shade of a tree, that he would do anything in his power to protect her.

Soon after that, the two friends found other monsters whom quickly grew attached to Mukuro. Ken the waredog and Chisuka, or as they all addressed him, Kakipi the golem. By befriending these monsters, he unknowingly attained the title 'Monster Tamer.'

When he did find out, though, he had no qualms. This title would be quite useful. If he claimed that the monsters would do anything he'd ask (they would do so willingly), surely people will respect him and also respect his request of leaving them alone. So he took the title and used it to his advantage.

He paused. He heard something. "H-hello?" he called out tentatively as he neared a dusty staircase. "Is anyone here?" When there was no response, he proceeded up the stairs, his once noisy footsteps muffled by the dark purple rug.

Though Tsunayoshi did an acceptable job as a monster tamer, he had yet to keep Hibarin the vampire at bay. Said vampire still harassed the village people, albeit less often than before. So the magician, Elder Rebo, sent him in Tsunayoshi's stead to stop the vampire.

Before he could reach the last step, someone hidden in the shadows pushed him and caused him to fall backwards and down the stairs. Falling flat on his back and finally reaching the bottom, he simply thanked whatever gods out there for the somewhat cushioned staircase. Nonetheless, his fall was still painful. "Ow."

He gazed back up at the figure that finally stepped into the silver moonlight. A boy (well, he looked like a boy) with ebony locks and an ice cold glare was staring at him questioningly. Mukuro made an effort to grin sheepishly at him. "H-hello. I'm Mukuro Rokudo," he said politely as he pushed himself up.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my castle? I thought I told all you pests to leave me alone" he said as he descended the stairs, a stomp in each of his steps. He stopped in front of Mukuro, glaring at the monster tamer as he struggled to get up.

Dusting of the dirt that clung to his army patterned jumpsuit, Mukuro extended his hand to the vampire. He assumed the other didn't hear him the first time and tried to properly introduce himself. "Mukuro Rokudo; I'm a monster tamer" he explained.

Hibarin folded his arms over his chest and let out an irritated huff. "I thought I told the last tamer to never come back. Did he not tell you to never come here?" he demanded, glaring at the offending hand that he was supposed to shake.

Mukuro pulled his hand back when he realized that the vampire wasn't willing to be friends. "Actually, that last tamer is an acquaintance of mine," he said. "I came in his place."

"Oh?" the vampire mused, circling around the boy like a vulture its prey. "So you came to play hero?" Hibarin stopped in front of Mukuro, leaning forward to scrutinize the other's face.

Mukuro leaned backwards and laughed a little awkwardly. _Too close for comfort, _he thought. "I suppose you could say that" he replied, still smiling. He cursed that little magician for sending him out by himself when he had no extraordinary powers to defend himself. He didn't even spare him some of the powerful monmon candy. His brained whizzed with several ideas to get out of the castle alive and he gulped when none of his plans seemed decent.

The vampire smirked. "Scared?" he asked.

Mukuro scowled. "Me? Scared? Why would I be-"

The tamer certainly didn't expect the vampire to push him to the floor. . . but then again, the reason for his aching limbs was from the earlier fall and he was pretty sure it was Hibarin that had pushed him. He made a mental note to stay a few feet away from the other.

As he tried to push the dizzy feeling out of his head, he felt the vampire crawl on top of him. He stiffened slightly. "What are you. . . ?"

Hibarin pinned the arms that tried to push him away above the other's head. "If I left the villagers alone, how would I support myself, hmm? I need blood to survive. A monster tamer such as yourself should know this, right?" he asked, staring at the other's eyes.

Mukuro gulped loudly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he did so.

The vampire's eyes strayed downwards and his smirk grew wider. "Perhaps you are willing to be an offering, hmm?" Hands occupied, he used his teeth to unzip the other's jumpsuit low enough to expose his clavicle. He licked his lips at the sight.

Mukuro froze. _No, no, no, no, no. He can't possibly be thinking of_. . . Panic taking over, he started to squirm about. "W-wait! W-we can t-talk about this!" he kicked his legs when the other didn't respond. "T-talk! L-let's talk!"

The feeling of teeth sinking into his skin rendered him motionless, a silent scream escaping his lips.

When the tamer went limp, Hibarin let go of his wrists and placed his hands underneath the other's jumpsuit and pushed it off his shoulders.

Common sense came back to Mukuro when the amount of blood lost was starting to make him feel light headed. His hands weakly grabbed at the vampire's shoulders and he tried to push him away, groaning in pain when Hibarin bit harder. He couldn't die, he thought. He had to protect Chrome and the others. "W-wait," he said weakly. He was glad that finally, the vampire stopped drinking his blood to look up at him. A wave of disgust washed over him at the sight of his own blood on someone else.

Hibarin licked his lips. "Last words before you die, tamer? Then I shall honor it." The vampire waited expectantly.

Mukuro blinked his eyes several times in an attempt to clear his vision. It didn't work seeing as everything became blurrier. He took in a deep breath. Even talking was taxing now. "I-I'll strike a d-deal with you."

"Oh?" Hibarin replied, amused.

"Let me live and I'll. . . I'll. . ." So maybe he didn't think things through. What did he have to offer?

"Yes? You'll?"

His grip on the vampire's shoulders tightened. He couldn't think properly anymore. What was happening? Where was he? He couldn't remember. "Wh-what?"

Hibarin grinned. "You'll serve me. I will become your master in exchange of your life" he completed for the other but he was pretty sure that idea wasn't the one the tamer had in mind. "Do you agree?"

He was breathing haphazardly, the vampire's words sinking ever so slowly into his barely conscious mind.

Hibarin went back down to suck the rest of his blood. If he didn't respond soon, he was as good as dead. Sinking his teeth into a new patch of skin, he drank more blood.

The sharp pain to his neck slapped Mukuro back into reality and he gasped. "Y-yes!"

Hibarin sat back up smiling as Mukuro fell unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**I don't know weather or not I should leave this as is or continue. All I know is lack of vampire hibari/powerless mukuro needs more love**

**Inspired by the Tsuna monster tamer shorts. haha**

**Ignore grammatical/typographical mistakes.**


	2. Chapter 2

Blinking the fatigue away from his eyes, Mukuro stared at the dusty white ceiling above him. Laying on the bed unthinking and unmoving for a few minutes, he slowly realized that wherever he was, it was not his home. Blinking hard and sitting up, he tried recalling the previous events.

He was supposed to be dead.

That single thought drifted through his mind for a few second before the gravity of the situation he was in finally hit him. He abruptly climbed out of bed, almost stumbling and immediately regretted this action when something akin to vertigo coursed through his body but he struggled to regain his composure.

"Well, this is a little bit anticlimactic" he murmured to himself as he made his way to the only door of the room. Peeking out of the room, he checked if the coast was clear. Seeing no sign of any living beings (nor undead for that matter), he deemed it safe enough for himself to wander around the castle.

Carefully placing one foot after the other, he slowly made his way through the sinuous hallways in hopes of finding the exit of the castle. He opened many doors leading to big, empty rooms, almost giving up when it seemed as if he was going in circles. The only thought that kept him going was the fact that he had to keep his friends safe so he persisted.

Finally, he found the door that led to his freedom but the feeling of paranoia was overpowering since he had encountered no obstacles (besides the labyrinth like hallways) on the way. As he fumbled with the doorknob, the eerily soothing voice of the vampire rung through the air. He mentally cursed.

"Where are you going?" asked Hibarin, a rather bored expression plastered across his face. "Did we not make a deal, tamer?"

Mukuro pursed his lips, not daring to turn around to face the other. "Well, I thought it would be nice to take a stroll, is all" he stalled, frowning as the doorknob proved impossible to unlock. Giving up, he let out a big sigh. "Would you care to join me?" he asked, a forced smile on his face as he finally turned around.

The vampire was quickly by his side. "Are you mad?" he asked, and led the way to the curtained window. "It's still twilight."

Mukuro peeped out the dusty old curtain to see a beautifully lit orange sky. "Then you must have woken up early." He faced the vampire, an eyebrow raised, "Why is that?" he asked.

Hibarin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. "The noisy footsteps of a certain someone disrupted my slumber" he scoffed. Grabbing the other's wrist, he dragged him up the stairs and gave a quick tour, pointing at doors and telling them of their uses or if he was authorized to enter them or not. Finally stopping at the room where Mukuro woke up in, he let out a huff. "This is you room from now on, understand?"

Mukuro's eye twitched. "So you really intend to keep me here?" he asked, sitting on the bed and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Yes," he replied bluntly. "That is, if you wish for me to sojourn terrorizing the village," he added, sitting next to the monster tamer.

"But—"

"The kitchen is stocked with food. If the supply is low, simply tell me" the vampire interrupted. He stood up and exited the room without another word.

"So, what?" called the tamer after the vampire. "You're going to keep me here as your source of blood until I die?" he frantically made his way to the doorway, watching as Hibarin lingered a few minutes in the hallway. "That's inhuman!"

"Have you forgotten what I am?" Hibarin laughed. "You entertain me, human."

Mukuro chewed on his bottom lip before retreating to his room, shutting the door with a light click. The vampire had a point, he had to agree. He leaned against the door and slid down slowly, burying his face in his hands as he tried to analyse his current situation. Escape: was it even possible for someone like him? He didn't know but it wouldn't hurt to try, he supposed.

"Hmhmhm, hello, stranger" said a voice, light and angelic, catching Mukuro off guard.

Snapping his head back up, he gazed around the room to look for the one who spoke but found no one. He stood up tentatively, eyes scanning through every inch of the room. "Uhm, hello?" he called. "Is there really someone else here or have I finally gone insane?"

He heard a chuckle as a draft passed through him and found himself face to face with a pale skinned man with white hair and a weird tattoo under his left eye. "Hi there, handsome," the man greeted, centimetres away from the tamer's face.

"Too close" Mukuro muttered, backing away slightly. "Ever heard of personal space?" he asked, laughing a little when the other man took a few steps backwards.

"Ahaha, I'm sorry," the other man apologized. "I've been dead for so long, I momentarily forgot what that meant." He extended his hand out for the other to shake. "My name is Byakuran, by the way. It's nice to meet you. . . "

"Mukuro," the tamer introduced himself, shaking the other's cold hand. "What type of monster are you? A ghost, I presume?"

"Ding, ding, ding! Correct!" Byakuran cheered, clapping his hands. "We never get visitors on this side of the castle! What brings you here?" He asked, taking a seat on the bed, smiling. "Are you perhaps a young adventurer on another one of your many journeys?"

Mukuro shook his head and sat down next to the ghost. "No, I'm a monster tamer."

"Woooow! Muku-chan, you must be very brave then to venture by yourself," commented Byakuran.

"Please don't call me that" Mukuro deadpanned.

"Whatever you say, Muku-chan!"

Mukuro sighed. Well, at least he wasn't all alone anymore, he thought to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**So I had a dream yesterday and Byakuran was in it. I decided to add him here as well :I**

**Tell me if that was a good idea or not. Thanks~**


	3. Chapter 3

He stared restlessly at the crimson liquid that dripped down from his wrist. The sight of his own blood dripping into an old wine bottle was something that wracked his nerves but it was better than Hibarin spontaneously cornering him for 'nourishment' as he would so lightly call it.

He felt a cold presence behind him. "Ngh, that's disgusting, Muku-chan" Byakuran commented, staring at the blood as it neared the brim of the bottle. "I think it was more graceful to look at when Hiba-chan drank it straight from your neck."

Mukuro retracted his wrist and wiped the excess blood off, a scowl set firmly on his face. "Please don't say that so blatantly" he said, covering the bottle with a cork and making his way to the vampires room. "It's not as if I enjoy getting my blood drained from my body."

The ghost shrugged, falling in pace with the other. "I never said that," he countered. "I just said-"

"You don't have to remind me, you perverted ghost" Mukuro interrupted, glaring.

Byakuran pouted and passed through the tamer's body, knowing very well that the other disliked that feeling. "I am not a pervert!" he whined, sticking his tongue out.

A shiver ran down Mukuro's spine. "I thought I told you to stop doing that!" he chided. He pushed the ghost away with some difficulties (seeing as his hands would pass through the other's shoulders as soon as they made contact) but finally got him to go the other way. "Now shoo! Hibarin-san doesn't like you very much and I can't really blame him!"

The pout never left the ghost's face. "You hurt me, Muku-chan. You hurt me so" he whined as he reluctantly left the other to finish his business.

Mukuro watched as the ghost disappeared down the hallway and let out a sigh. Knocking gently, he let himself in and closed the door behind him. "Hibarin-san?" ha called into the darkness, barely making out the outlines of the randomly placed furniture.

The vampire's warm breath brushed by his ear causing the tamer to stumble forward in reply, nearly dropping bottle of blood. Mukuro glared at Hibarin. "Was that absolutely necessary?"

Hibarin chuckled, helping the back to his feet. "No," he replied, making his way to the window to open the drapes. "I thought it would be fun."

Mukuro let out a huff and placed the wine bottle down on the table. He stared at the vampire as the moonlight fell on him, a serene look on his usually devoid of emotions face and he couldn't help but think of how innocent the other could look. He took a seat, one leg over the other, and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "Do you want anything else?"

Hibarin snapped from his pensive daze and turned around. He walked towards the tamer and took the seat across him, picking up the bottle to examine its contents. "Not in particular. . ."

As he waited to be dismissed, Mukuro let his eyes wander around the room. It was a room he rarely visited and when he actually had a chance to go inside, it was either too dark for him to see or the vampire would immediately usher him out. Though the fact that he hadn't been dismissed yet struck him as unusual, he couldn't help but be amazed at the sight of a dusty old piano.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he stood up and approached the piano, brushing a few spider webs away. "Do you play the piano, Hibarin-san?" he asked, dusting the keys with the sleeve of his jumpsuit. He sat down on the bench, tapping at random keys.

Hibarin placed the bottle down and joined Mukuro on the bench. "I used to" he replied.

Mukuro turned to look at him. "Used to? Why did you stop?"

The vampire played a simple chord with his right hand, eye twitching slightly when the sound produced was not as he remembered. "This old thing is dusty and out of tune," he replied. "Playing anything would be pointless since it would not sound decent."

Mukuro hummed in understanding. "Then why not get it tuned?"

Hibarin laughed. "Are you really asking me that?" He tried playing a simple tune but it ended up sounding eerie. "No human would dare enter this castle, let alone tune this piano for me."

"Well, I came in, didn't I?" the tamer asked, drumming his fingers over the keys. "And if I knew how, I would tune this for you" he said sincerely.

Hibarin stared at Mukuro for a good ten seconds. "You are a strange human therefore you are exempted."

"I do hope you mean that in a good way," Mukuro laughed.

Then he saw it. He didn't think it possible but he saw it: Hibarin's smile. Though it was small and could have been his eyes playing a trick on him, he couldn't deny this odd air around them. It was calm, relaxing and gave him a warm feeling inside. It wasn't like how they had started off (a little awkward and tense) but he had no complaints. Quite the contrary, he liked it.

A small chuckle escaped the vampire's lips. "Maybe. . ."

The tamer wondered if perhaps their relationship of sorts had escalated to new heights. Then again, he could barely bring himself to have a proper conversation with the other after their first encounter (draining someone of their blood to near death was certainly something to render even the bravest man to a nervous wreck) for a few days.

It made him remember his cute little Chrome. He wondered if she was doing well and if Sawada Tsunayoshi kept his word of looking after her. He smiled sadly at the though of her worrying over him and sighed. How he longed to see her again and even once he almost ran away from the castle if it weren't for Byakuran's words of advice ("If you ran away, Hiba-chan might come after you and hurt your friends"). Though he hated to admit, it was true. He wouldn't let his selfishness put his friends in danger.

"it's getting late" Hibarin announced, keeping his eyes firmly set on the piano keys. "For you, at least," He added. "You are dismissed."

Mukuro snapped out of his pensive silence and smiled. "Alright," he said standing up. He stopped by the door and smiled once more at the vampire. "Good night then, Hibarin-san."

Hibarin waved his hand dismissively as the other excused himself. He listened as the tamer's footsteps faded away before gently closing the piano and silently left the room. Hiding in the shadows out of habit, he made his way to his guest's room and lingered for a few minutes outside the door. It wouldn't be too long before the other fell asleep, Hibarin thought.

He listened carefully to Mukuro's breath as it steadied into a constant rhythm before letting himself in. He watched as the other's chest rose up and down in a relaxed pace and sat down on a chair that was set near the bed. He leaned forward, tracing his fingers over the bite mark he had left on the other's neck and grinned. The tamer belonged to him and no one else, he thought.

"Hiba-chan, it isn't very nice watching people when they're sleeping" Byakuran stated as he materialized beside the vampire. "It's actually quite creepy."

Hibarin frowned. "As if you did not do this as well" he stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "I bet you're here every night."

"Oh course I am!" the ghost said happily, sitting in mid air beside the vampire. "Someone needs to look after him, you know!"

Hibarin's eye twitched. "Perverted ghost."

"I AM NOT!" Byakuran almost screamed. He let out an aggravated huff, crossing one leg over the other. "Besides, I know for a fact that you are here every other night, just watching him sleep!" He waved his finger in front of the vampire as if chiding a child. "I have to say that its very creepy that you do that!"

"It's creepy that you are still here," the vampire said, glaring. "Did I not tell you ages ago to leave this place?"

Byakuran let out a huff, pouting and looking the other way. "Why couldn't you be a happy vampire that sparkles in the sun?"

"Because that is stupid," Hibarin groaned. "There is no point in talking to an idiot," he stated flatly before standing up. "Come with me."

Byakuran chanced a glance at the peacefully sleeping human. "But Muku-chan-"

"Just come with me," the vampire insisted, walking out the door and closing it gently behind him. Reluctantly, the ghost followed, a pout set firmly on his face.

Hibarin led them back to the room he was previously in and pointed to the piano. The ghost raised an eyebrow. "Yes, its a pretty piano, Hiba-chan but why did you drag me away from Muku-chan?"

The vampire slapped a hand over his eyes and let out a vexed sigh. "You know how to fix this, yes?" he asked, lifting the lid of the small grand piano and using the lid prop to keep it up. He stared at the rusted wires and looked back at the ghost who joined him by his side to stare inside.

"Yeesh, when was the last time you had this tuned, Hiba-chan?" he asked.

"Stop calling me that" Hibarin stressed. "This was tuned much too long ago," he answered. He couldn't exactly remember the last time he actually played a piece on this old thing. Probably a few hundred years or so, he assumed. "Fix it."

Byakuran raised his eyebrows. "I'd love to that for you but," he raised his semi transparent hands, "I can't exactly do that." He rubbed his chin in thought for a few minutes and finally had an idea. "I can posses your body and-"

"Not happening."

"Oh, foo" he said dejectedly. "Then how am I supposed to fix this?"

The vampire grinned wickedly. "I think we should pay the village a visit, don't you think?" He made his way to the door and pulled the curtains all the way open. "The night is still young and I am sure there will be at least one human willing to. . ._ listen_ to our queries."

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**I'm in the process of writing the next chapter. My brain is dieing.**

**Originally, this was going to be a oneshot but then I scrapped that idea. I thought it was going to be 3 chapters but I don't think 3 chapters is sufficient.**


	4. Chapter 4

Mukuro hummed a tune as he walked down another unexplored hallway, eyes scanning every nook and cranny for anything that might be interesting. When he reached the end of the hallway, he was greeted by two big doors. Curiosity getting the better of him, he pushed them open and gasped at what he saw.

Hundreds of selves of books stood everywhere. He could swear that he felt his mouth water at the sight. So many new things for him to learn, he thought as he approached a bookshelf. He picked a book out, dusting it before turning to the first page and began reading.

He wandered deeper and deeper into the labyrinth like library, picking out books that seemed interesting and piling them up in one arm. He was so engrossed in his search that he failed to noticed the white haired ghost sitting quietly and reading a book of his own.

The sound of a book falling to the ground snapped the ghost out of his own stupor and he raised his head to see Mukuro struggling with a few books. He smiled and drifted to the other and passed through him, giggling slightly as he did so.

The tamer dropped all the books in hand in surprise before glaring at the laughing ghost. "Must you really do that all the time!"

"Yes, I must!" the ghost exclaimed happily while sticking out his tongue at the other. "I'd be bored to death if I didn't." He laughed as Mukuro picked his books up. "I made a funny, Muku-chan!"

Mukuro heaved a sigh as he set his books on a nearby table. "You must be so proud of yourself," he said sarcastically as he sat down. Opening a book, he began reading. "I didn't think I'd find you in such a place, Byakuran."

Byakuran circled the table a few times before taking a seat across the tamer where his book was waiting for him. "What? You think I don't like to read?" The ghost sent him a questioning glare. "Do you think I'm a mouth breathing neanderthal or something?" He spun his book to let Mukuro read it. "For your information, I could have been a doctor if I had chosen so."

The tamer looked at the illustrations of human anatomy and look genuinely surprised. "Oh?" He looked at the ghost's attire, noting that it looked like a military uniform. "If you were so capable, then why did you become a soldier?"

The ghost laughed. "No, no, no! You don't understand!" He pointed at a badge that was pinned onto his shirt pocket. "I was the tactician! A much more respected position as compared to a simple foot soldier."

"Oh, really?" Mukuro put his book down, finding the ghost's past a little interesting. "How did you die, mind me asking?"

Byakuran flipped the book so that it was facing him again and flipped through the pages. Though the smile never left his face, Mukuro sensed that the topic at hand was rather sensitive. He stayed silent, waiting for the other to respond.

"My most trusted allay. . ." Byakuran started, cheek resting on the palm of his hand as he reminisced. "My best friend. . . He betrayed me."

Mukuro stared, shocked. He tried to speak but what use would words of consolations provide? He couldn't exactly say he understood either since none of his friends would eve do something like that. He was speechless.

Byakuran smiled. "No need to feel sorry for me" he said, closing the book.

"Is that why you're here?" Mukuro asked, a small frown on his face. "You seek revenge upon your so called friend?"

The ghost laughed. "Oh heavens, no. He was right and I was being stupid." He sighed, feeling nostalgic. It took him years to realize this and he laughed at his own idiocy. You make mistakes when you're young, he supposed.

A few minutes of silence before Byakuran spoke again. "I regret that I didn't get to tell him how sorry I was . . . and that he was still my best friend."

Mukuro was touched. At first he thought that the other was nothing more that a childish ghost but there was more to him than meets the eye. It reminded him of the saying 'never judge a book by its cover.'

Byakuran stood up and floated around Mukuro excitedly. "Anyway, let's not speak of such gloomy things!" he said, urging Mukuro to stand. "There are a lot more books you have to read, Muku-chan!"

Mukuro sighed and smiled. Standing up, he followed the ghost as he chatted happily about anything and everything.

Hibarin, who was leaning on a bookshelf and away from sight, sighed. He didn't mean to eavesdrop. "For once," he muttered to himself, "I'll let you be the cool one for once" he finished, picking a book from the shelf before he exited.

The vampire remembered when he first met the wandering ghost. It was when he himself was a young vampire and he supposed they knew each other ever since joining the undead. Byakuran wasn't always that happy ghost he was now. He was gloomier back then, quieter too, the vampire mused before retreating to his quarters.

"I have the strange feeling. . . That someone is thinking badly of me" the ghost said, pouting.

Mukuro was much to immersed in a whole other world to listen to Byakuran's comments. Sitting on the floor, his eyes darted back and forth at an amazing speed. As the hours flew by, a pile of finished books was beginning to pile up next to the tamer. It was nearly the brink of dawn when Byakuran left to fetch Hibarin.

"Hiba-chan~ I need you for a while!" he called into the dark room.

Hibarin, who was actually about to go to sleep, grumbled incoherently. He was tired and wanted to sleep. Glaring, he asked "what do you want, herbivore?"

Byakuran's cold hands tried to grab the vampire's but it passed through. "I hate it when I forget that," he muttered. "But anyway! Muku-chan fell asleep on the floor in the library!" he said, flying around the vampire. "I wanted to carry him to his room but I can't" he pouted.

Hibarin sighed and followed the ghost to the library. As he tried to ignore the chatting ghost, he sighed. It was impossible. "Don't you ever sleep?"

The ghost tapped his chin in thought. "No! I don't need it!"

Hibarin sighed again and they finally reached the sleeping tamer. There was something almost endearing at seeing Mukuro asleep with a book still in his hands. Hibarin crouched down and pulled the book away from the other's hands, laying it gently on the floor. Carefully, he picked the tamer up bridal style before heading towards Mukuro's room.

Byakuran followed, several comments that he wanted to say out loud (like how cute they looked) but he decided for once that he'd keep his mouth shut. He went ahead of the other two and invited himself into Mukuro's room where he usually stayed.

Hibarin soon followed and laid the tamer down on the bed.

Mukuro's eyes fluttered open but he was still groggy. "Hibarin-san?" he asked. "What time is it?"

"Just sleep, tamer" he said as he made his way to the door. "I'll wake you if I need you." He closed the door with a light click before going to his own room to sleep as well.

Mukuro nodded and pulled the sheets over his body to continue his sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Muku-chan" Byakuran whispered, closing the curtains.

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**filler. . . Or is it?**


	5. Chapter 5

It was rare that Byakuran found himself alone. Usually When Mukuro went to bed he'd chat with Hibarin for a while (much to the vampire's dismay) and when said vampire was asleep, he'd be with Mukuro. The quiet time that he had now was something he really didn't want for several reasons.

Sitting apprehensively by Mukuro's bed, the ghost waited for something he knew was coming. Though he enjoyed the tamer's company a whole lot, he wished the Mukuro would go home to his friends already. A chuckle brought him out of his thoughts and he stiffened.

It simply wasn't safe for a human to be in this castle.

Brows furrowed together in what seemed to be a glare, Byakuran forced a smile. "I was hoping you would never appear," he commented in faux joy. He stood up and walked to the small tea table that was set in the other corner of the room and sat down. "You just have to rain on my parade, don't you?"

Another ghost appeared in the room, a walking cane in hand and a enigmatic smile crawling up his lips. "Nufufufu, too mean, Byakuran," he said, walking to join the white haired ghost. "And all I wanted was to see you."

As the newcomer sat down, Byakuran planted his elbow on the table, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "You liar," he sneered with a smile. This person was someone he didn't like. His eyes were always calculating and he always had a second motive behind his actions. It was obvious enough what the other wanted and Byakuran was willing to do anything in his power to defeat this man.

He laughed again. "What an awful thing to say," replied the other. He crossed one leg over the other and rested his cane against the table. "Is it so wrong to visit a friend once in a while?"

"Of course it isn't," he replied. "My friends are always welcome to stop by."

"Then why so cold, Byakuran?" the other asked, reaching over the table to pinch the white haired ghost's face in what seemed like a friendly manner.

Byakuran slapped his hand away, his lips twitching as he provided a false smile. "You are not my friend, Daemon" he stated. This man had caused him enough trouble in his past life. He wanted nothing more to do with him. "Now if you would," he gestured to the door, "please leave."

Daemon clicked his tongue in mock disappointment and completely ignored the other's request. "Why don't we go on a stroll, hmm?" he asked, standing up. "It would be nice to get some fresh air, don't you think?" He made his way to the door.

The tactician's smile almost faltered. "Sure," he said, exiting the room with the other. As they walked through the empty corridors to the veranda, a tense atmosphere surrounded the two. Daemon was the only person who ever defeated Byakuran at his own game and it aggravated him to no end. If it weren't for him, he would have probably stayed alive.

Daemon took a wrong turn that led them to a nearly empty room if it weren't for the piano that sat in the middle of the room. He sat down on the bench and opened the lid to play a few keys. "I'm amazed that this old thing still works."

Byakuran stood at the doorway, arms folded over his chest while he leaned against the wall. "Had it fixed," he said. "There was a boy nice enough to hear us out." Byakuran was actually surprised when they saw the blond young man that night. He had weird tattoos on his neck and all over his arm. What shocked him even more was the fact that he knew Hibarin.

"Cavallone," Hibarin called that night, stalking into the church's corridor. "Cavallone, I know you're in here." Byakuran followed silently.

Said man stood up and turned around to smile. Walking out of the pews, he went to greet the vampire with arms opened wide. "Kyouya!" he smiled, enveloping the vampire in his arms. "Have you finally decided to be good? The village has been extremely peaceful nowadays!"

Byakuran noted the human's clothes. This was no ordinary human. He was a priest.

The ghost snapped out of his reprieve when Daemon patted the seat next to him. "Come, join me" he said.

Byakuran sighed and sat down next to the other ghost. "Care to test out it's durability?" he asked, drumming his fingers across the keys. "After all, it's been a while since I've played the piano and I think I still remember a few pieces."

Daemon raised an elegant eyebrow at the other, wondering what he was playing at. After all, under his cheerful, child-like exterior, Byakuran was a force not to be trifled with. Still, he kept up his calm demeanour and entertained the other. "Sure, I don't see why not," he said, placing his hands over the keys.

Byakuran put his left arm under Daemon's right and they began the duet that they had learned together years ago when they were 'friends.' It was shot and simple and a tune they both remembered well.

The last notes echoed across the dusty room and a silence fell upon them. Byakuran decided to break the silence. "I know what you're up to, Daemon," he said while his eyes stayed glued to the keys. "Don't you even dare try." He warned.

An angered look crossed Daemon's face for a few milliseconds before a strained smile took its place. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. He continued to press the piano keys as he spoke. "Little old me just felt lonely with you or _anybody_ to play with."

Byakuran stood up with a frown so his hid his face from the other's view. "Then go find someone else to play with," he said. "We're not friends." He made his way to the door.

"If you put it that way," Daemon said with a playful tone, "I guess I should make new _friends_."

Byakuran froze where he stood, grinding his teeth against each other in anger. "I will not allow you to go near Muku-chan" he seethed. There was no way he'd let that monster of a man approach his friend. He wouldn't lose another friend to this man. Not a second time. He walked out without another word and made his way back to Mukuro's room.

The only noise that resounded in the corridors were his retreating footsteps and the laugh of a madman.

* * *

><p>Mukuro woke up midday with Byakuran hovering upside down across the room. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked.<p>

The voice catching his attention, the ghost hovered to the tamer with a smile on his face. "Waiting for you to wake up, silly!" he replied before standing up right and sitting next to Mukuro. "You sure sleep a lot!"

Something seemed off with Byakuran but Mukuro didn't know whether or not he should ask. Deciding that he'd find out eventually, he stood up and yawned. As he made his way to the kitchen, he realized that he fell asleep in the library. Glancing at the ghost who followed happily at his side, he asked "how did I get to my room?"

"Hmm?" The ghost hummed, thinking. "I asked Hiba-chan to take you there," he laughed.

Mukuro hummed thoughtfully, opening the doors to the kitchen to get something to eat. He still had the lingering feeling that something was wrong and as each minute passed by, the urge to ask grew.

It was nearly twilight when Mukuro snapped and he turned around to face the ghost. "Is something wrong, Byakuran?" he asked nonchalantly. "You've been acting very differently today."

Byakuran was taken aback. Face in a genuine look of shock, he raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean, Muku-chan?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly. Had he been acting differently from his usual self? He thought he was doing a pretty good job keeping up his façade. "Well, I am a little upset that you fell asleep all morning," he lied. "I was all alone."

Mukuro raised an eyebrow, frowning at first before smirking slightly. "Byakuran, Byakuran, Byakuran," he chided playfully while taking a few steps forward, "do you think that I'm so easily fooled?" At this point, the ghost would usually retort or say a witty comeback but it was delayed. Mukuro turned around, brow furrowed in confusion. "What happened?"

The ghost hesitated, staring at the ground and avoiding the tamer's gaze. There were a few things to explain and he was finding the simplest way to explain it to the other. Looking back up with a straight face, he replied "Mukuro, there are many dangers in this that you are not aware of, neither does Hibarin."

It was the first time Mukuro was called by his real name by the ghost as it was also the first time he's seen him so serious. "What do you mean?" he asked. "What dangers?"

Byakuran took a deep breath as he prepared himself for something he never wanted to do. Closing the distance between himself and the tamer, the ghost possessed Mukuro.

It was a strange feeling, Mukuro thought to himself. He certainly wasn't expecting that to happen. As he stared at his own body moving not of his volition, he pursed his lips in thought. He tried to stop his body from moving but it was no use.

"It's very easy to possess a body," said Byakuran using Mukuro's voice. "You're lucky that you met me first and not someone else," he added as he walked through the halls. Proving his point, Byakuran retreated from the tamer's body and Mukuro was glad that he was able to move his own limbs.

Flexing his fingers just to make sure, he looked back up at the ghost. "Someone else?" he asked, following the ghost down the hall. "Who is 'someone else?'"

"He's demented, really" Byakuran commented offhandedly. "A real nutcase," he said, twirling his index finger beside his ear. "So please be very careful, Muku-chan. I don't want you to get hurt." He patted the other's head but smiled sadly when his hand just passed through. "I care for you."

Mukuro was shocked but he smiled amiably. "Thank you for your concern, Byakuran . . . Though I don't exactly know how I'm supposed to be careful." He said as he continued down the hall. He turned around to ask a question only to be met with silence. Byakuran was gone.

Shruggin, he continued down the hall (albeit a lot more careful now than before) to Hibarin's room. Before he even knocked on the door, it was opened and the vampire had his usual blank stare in place. "Ah, you're here," he said, "come with me." Grabbing Mukuro's hand in his own, he led him through many hallways to the room they had moved the piano to.

As he was dragged through the castle, Mukuro could only note on how cold the vampire's hand was. Tightening his grip, he tried to fall into pace with the other without question. Though there were a lot of things running through his head (such as the whereabouts of the ghost) but he decided to keep it to himself. He was sure the ghost would appear again at some point.

When Hibarin opened the door, Mukuro stared in awe. Letting go of the vampire's hand, he made his way to the piano and opened the lid. He looked at the vampire who joined him and asked "How did you get this fixed?"

Hibarin shrugged and sat down on the piano bench and coaxed the other to join him. "I have my ways," he said. Pressing a few keys, he was happy to hear the perfect sound.

Mukuro sat down next to him and smiled. "I hope you didn't hurt anyone in the process, hmm?" he asked jokingly. He pressed a few piano keys as well. "Would you care to play a song for me?"

A small smirk grew on the vampire's lips. Little did the tamer know, a certain blond haired priest received much of his scolding (physical scolding, he laughed) but he supposed the other needn't know of that. Nonetheless, Hibarin cracked his knuckles and began to play a song.

* * *

><p><strong>An: Have some links :D **

**Link 1 leads you to the song that Byakuran and Daemon played. Its not really relevant that you know but I thought you might want to know.**

**Link 2 leads you to a 6918 picture that I asked my friend to draw for me. If you look at the comment box, she put a link leading to a colored version that I did.**

**h t t p: / www . youtube . com / watch?v yp_NTIOL2aM&feature=related**

**h t t p : / kame-o . deviantart . com /art/Gonna-Bite-You-To-Death-203404624**

_Also, forgive me for being vague. In my head, ghosts can touch things for only a few seconds. Like poltergeists :D_


	6. Chapter 6

The music that Hibarin began to play was surprisingly gentle. Soft, quiet notes flooded the nearly empty room, causing Mukuro to smile kindly at the tune that sounded so familiar to him. He wondered where he heard the song before since he didn't listen to much music but that thought was completely forgotten when the quiet adagio escalated to a theatrical fortissimo.

The tamer watched as Hibarin's fingers practically danced across the piano keys in a graceful flow of movements. It was somewhat enviable watching those elegant hands move so naturally to a complicated piece (it was complicated in Mukuro's opinion).

The song reached a sudden pause and Mukuro wondered if the song already ended. He kept quiet and continued to watch, waiting for more music to be played. Hibarin lightly pressed the keys in the same manner he had started and continued to play the rest of the song and Mukuro realized why the melody sounded so familiar to him. "This song. . ." he whispered, voice barely audible.

With a gentle roll of his fingers, Hibarin ended the song in a quiet yet strong tone and it resonated inside the nearly empty room.

"Where did you learn this song?" Mukuro asked, a little dumfounded.

Hibarin smirked, a teasing glint in his usually cold eyes. "I hear you hum it every now and then," he replied, cracking his fingers disturbingly loud. "I am assuming that someone by the name 'Cute Chrome' taught it to you, yes?" he added.

Mukuro's eyes widened slightly in shock. "Kufufufu, yes," he laughed. He raised his right hand and started to play a simple do-re-mi absentmindedly. "Do you mind me asking how you found this out?" he asked, looking up to meet the vampire's curious gaze.

The vampire showed off his pearly whites in a flippant smile. "Sometimes, you talk in your sleep."

The tamer frowned slightly, urging the blush that might appear to stay away from his face. "I don't," he countered. "I must have told you some day or another," he added dismissively. He knows he's lying because not once had he uttered his cute little Chrome's name in the castle.

Hibarin shrugged his shoulders and a slightly awkward silence occupied in the room.

This herbivore, no, this human was different from others. Whereas one would run away in fear from him, this tamer willingly entered his castle unarmed. It was either he was really idiotic or really brave. Hibarin chuckled to himself when he decided it was a little bit of both.

"Thank you," Mukuro said with a gentle smile on his face. He didn't think that he'd be able to hear that song in a long while from somebody else and the fact that Hibarin took his time to recompose the melody to something more beautiful than it was originally was almost endearing.

Hibarin shrugged his shoulders once more.

He found the vampire interesting. Not just because he was what he was, a vampire, but because he had an interesting personality. He was arrogant, hardheaded, HOTHEADED and, for lack of a better term, sometimes the vampire would act like a spoiled child. Mukuro found it cute though. Especially since this side of the vampire seemed like it was reserved for him and _only_ him. While everyone else saw him as a monster, he saw him as his cute little skylark.

He didn't know what possessed him, he certainly hopes it's not the other ghost that Byakuran mentioned minutes prior to now, and he leaned forward to capture the other's rosy pale lips with his own. They're cold but soft.

Hibarin's eyes widen in shock at the feel of the tamer's lips on his and he growled slightly. He pushed the tamer away from himself a little too roughly and the bench fell and clattered noisily on the ground behind him. He ghosted the tip of his fingers over his lips where the tamer kissed him and glared. "What was that?" he asked in a jarred tone.

Mukuro was definitely not expecting to be pushed (even though when they first met he fell down a flight of stairs) and landed painfully wrong on his left arm. He cradled said limb with this right arm carefully and he winced at the slight pain that jolted through his arm. He forced out an awkward smile. "A kiss?" he guessed.

Hibarin narrowed his eyes and sat in between the other's legs. He leaned closer, faces inches apart and breath mingling with Mukuro's. "That is not what I meant," he snarled, grabbing a fistful of the front of the tamer's shirt. "_Why?_" he asked through clenched teeth, pulling the other closer.

"Do I really need a reason?" the tamer whispered before crushing their lips together again in another kiss. Mukuro gasped a little in surprise when Hibarin kissed him back. He dragged his tongue across the vampire's lower lip, coxing the other to open his mouth. When he felt the vampire's teeth parting, he wasted no time in plunging his wet muscle into the other's hot, wet cavern.

Hibarin moaned slightly into the kiss and leaned forward to press their bodies together. The heat in the room was escalating. . .or maybe it was the way Mukuro cautiously wrapped his left arm around his waist, pulling him closer to intensify their kiss. He didn't know which of the two options were correct but he couldn't care less.

When the need for air became too much, they pulled away from each other with panting breaths, a thin trail of saliva connecting the them. Mukuro took in big gulps of air to stabilize his breathing pattern and Hibarin took the chance and splayed his fingers across the tamer's clothed chest, leaning forward once more to trail butterfly kisses along Mukuro's jaw, down his neck and across his clavicle.

Mukuro took in a shaky breath and relished the feeling of the gentle touches. The back of his head thudded against the wall when he leaned too far back (he wondered briefly where the wall came from) but that small pain was nothing in comparison to the immense amount of pleasure the vampire provided for him.

Until, that is, he felt the other sink his teeth into his exposed skin.

He groaned lightly since the spot that HIbarin bit him was a little tender from the last time he had been bitten. It was painful but this time, oddly pleasant as well. Mukuro wondered if he was slowly becoming a masochist but pushed the thought out of his head at the same time he pushed at Hibarin's shoulders. He winced, feeling the tips of the sharp teeth digging into his muscle, and decided that there was no point.

After several satisfying gulps of blood, Hibarin finally pulled away. He smirked at the dazed look on Mukuro's face. "Good boy," he said in an almost mocking tone. "You deserve a reward," he added and licked his bloodied lips.

Mukuro found it unfair that Hibarin looked tantalizing when blood, his blood, escaped the corner of his lips and began to dribble down his smooth, pale skin.

The coppery tang of his own blood was what he tasted when Hibarin kissed him again. It was a little bit disgusting, a small wave of nausea making his head throb, but he sucked daintily at the vampire's tongue. He could feel his own blood as it trickled down his skin, his shirt slowly absorbing it, but he didn't care. He leaned forward, taking the initiative, and pressed Hibarin's body against the cold, hard floor.

They pulled away from each other, smirking before their little game was interrupted by the dull sound of the castle doors being opened. They looked at each other with questioning gazes and Hibarin pushed Mukuro off himself.

Pouting, Mukuro grabbed the vampire's hand in a tight grasp before he could leave the room to check the castles entrance. "They're probably lost," he said, standing up. He wanted to continue where they left off but when Hibarin glared at him, he reluctantly gave in. "Fine," he sighed.

They walked down the halls in silence but Hibarin paused in front of a cabinet. He pulled out several materials and forced Mukuro to sit down on the dirty rugged floor. He cleaned the tamer's would vigilantly and wrapped his neck in cotton bandages snugly. He said nothing.

Mukuro leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly against Hibarin's cheek. "Thank you, _mi caro_." He smiled widely.

Hibarin muttered incoherently under his breath and grabbed the tamer's hand, dragging him down the halls in a hurried pace. "Whatever," he replied. "Let's just hurry up."

When they finally reached the entrance, they found it rather empty. "See?" Mukuro whispered, tugging at the vampire's hand. "There's no one here."

He is sadly mistaken when the tentative call of his Precious Chrome echoed in the dusty foyer. "H-hello?" she called out, taking carful steps forward in the dark. "Is anyone here?" she called out a little louder and clutched her weapon, Mukuro's trident that he left behind, tightly in her frail hands.

The vampire noticed that the girl's hair style was similar to that of the tamers and noticed the look of recognition that crossed Mukuro's face. He puts one and one together, pulled Mukuro back and whispered vehemently into his ear "What is _she_ doing here?"

"I don't know," he whispered back honestly, prying the vampire's hands of his shirt. "I'll go talk to her, alright?" he said in a reassuring manner and quickly pecked Hibarin's lips. He found himself growing addicted to them, he feared. "I'll be right back," he said.

Hibarin is glad that it is dark because he knows that his face turned a brilliant shade of pink. He frowned and let out a huff. "Fine," he whispered at Mukuro's back. "Just hurry up."

Mukuro trudged down the stairs with a smile on his face. "Good evening Chrome," he greeted in his usual way. "What are you doing here?"

At the sound of her dear friend's voice, Chrome's single eye lit up in excitement and relief. She ran towards Mukuro and enveloped him in a tight embrace. "Mukuro-sama!" she exclaimed, burying her face in his shirt.

Mukuro laughed lightly and patted the mummy's head in an affectionate manner. She was still the sweet, innocent girl from ages ago. "What's the matter, little one?" he asked when she pulled away to meet his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked again.

"You've been missing for weeks, Mukuro-sama," she said in her usual soft voice. "I got worried and would have looked for you sooner but boss said—"

"That Sawada may be a fool but he can be right sometimes, my cute Chrome," Mukuro laughed. He was glad that she came and he knows that he was being a little selfish. "You should go back to Ken and Kakipi."

"But, Mukuro-sama. . ." she grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt, lips quivering slightly.

He smiled at her again and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I still have business to attend to," he said, pushing her out the door gently. After all, he did make a promise with the vampire. "I'll be back when I can," he added at the concerned look o her face.

Chrome was almost convinced with what Mukuro told her but when she saw the bandages around his neck, her apprehensive feelings came back. The blood on his shirt only added more anxiety. "Y-you're bleeding," she stammered, trying her best to hold back her tears.

"I'll be fine," he reassured her when she was finally outside. "Please don't worry about me, Chrome," he said, smiling kindly at the girl and patted her head once more.

Chrome opened her mouth to speak again but stopped when Mukuro was suddenly pulled back into the castle and the door was slammed in her face. She panicked slightly and started banging on the doors. "M-mukuro-sama?" she called out, worriedly. "Mukuro-sama, please! Open the door!"

Hibarin shoved Mukuro against the mahogany doors none too gently and frowned.

"That was rude," the tamer commented, grabbing the arm that held him against the door. "But she's gone now, okay?" he said in a slightly irritated voice. He at least wanted to say a proper farewell to the poor girl.

"Go," Hibarin said, pushing the other away from him. He turned around and walked across the foyer to retreat to his study.

Mukuro blinked. Then he blinked once more. "What?" he asked, a little confused and followed the vampire. He momentarily forgot about the constant banging on the door and grabbed Hibarin's wrist to turn him around. A serious look encompassed his usually calm face. "What do you mean _go?_" he asked, tightening his grip.

Hibarin jerked his arm away from the tamer and frowned. "Leave with that girl already, _tamer_" he hissed, walking up the stairs.

Mukuro followed him again and used both his hands to turn the vampire around to face him and keep him facing him. He winced at the pain that runs through his left arm, wondering briefly if he sprained it, but tried his best to ignore it. He stared into Hibarin's bluish-gray eyes. "I'll go," he said, wondering if the sad look that was briefly on Hibarin's face was something he imagined. "But. . ."

He kissed Hibarin tenderly and pulled back slightly. Their lips were still touching and they were breathing each other's warm breath. "I'll come back," he said honestly, pink dusting his cheeks.

Hibarin blushed madly then shoved Mukuro's face away with the palm of his hand in sheer embarrassment. He averted his gaze, staring everywhere but the tamer's eyes and let out a little huff. "Leave," he said again, waving his hand dismissively. He wouldn't admit that Mukuro's words relieved him.

Mukuro smiled at him. "Then I'll see you later, _mi caro."_

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**ASDFGHJKL. Writing style inconsistency, why do you always have to come when I'm doing a multichap? Anyway, I hope this isn't too OOC. I feel that it is and I am disappointed with myself**

**-EDIT-**

**I fixed it so it's more like how I originally started. And yes, it is a little bit fast paced now.**


	7. Chapter 7

In the few weeks of his absence, Mukuro discovered that his friends relocated to Sawada Tsunayoshi's household by the request (more probably an order) of Elder Reborn. He didn't mind really.

When he and Chrome arrived the afternoon the next day, the house went ballistic. Question after question was asked and he could barely comprehend them, let alone answer them. When it was getting too out of hand, he was glad that Ken and Kakipi decided to step in.

His two friends ushered everyone out, a few profanities and insults from Ken, and told Mukuro to get some rest. Mukuro was grateful and sat down on the edge of his new bed, noting that the sheets were much cleaner and less dusty than the ones at the castle. His eyes strayed to Chrome who stood a little awkwardly by the door and he smiled, patting the spot next to him.

She fidgeted in her spot a little. "Uhm, M-mukuro-sama should get some rest," she said, refusing his unspoken offer.

She had a worried look in her amethyst colored eye and Mukuro sighed with a smile on his face. "If you are worried about this," he said and pointed at the bandages around his neck, "I told you I'll be fine." He pulled the blankets up and got under them as if to prove his point. "Trust me."

Chrome nodded. _'If Mukuro-sama says he'll be fine, he'll be fine'_ she thought to herself. She smiled at him before leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She walked quietly down the stairs and decided to help Nana, Tsunayoshi's mother, with dinner.

When Mukuro was sure that Chome was gone, he sighed and turned around in bed. There was a lot going on in his mind. For one, where did his feelings for Hibarin come from? He wished to whatever deities were out there that it wasn't Stockholm syndrome or something akin to it. He liked to believe that he was better than that.

Besides that, what of Byakuran? When he last saw him yesterday, he looked tense and a little frigid. It threw him off when the usual air of happiness was replaced by paranoia and, if he was not mistaken, _fear_. What was it that made someone, who was already dead, scared?

Mukuro corrected himself; _who_ was it that made Byakuran so nervous?

He rolled in bed and faced the windows. When would he get to see Hibarin again? He touched his lips with the tips of his fingers, remembering how soft the vampire's lips were and blushed. When he thought about it, he has never been intimate with anyone before but there was something about Hibarin that he found charming.

He pulled the sheets over his face and grumbled.

* * *

><p>Hibarin was rudely awakened by a whining voice that he knew belonged to a certain white haired ghost. He kicked the lid of his coffin, the hinges creaking loudly in protest. He glared at Byakuran in mid-talk and growled. "What in the world are you doing here, herbivore?"<p>

"You're awake!"

Hibarin walked out of his coffin, stifling a yawn.

Byakuran quickly drifted over and began circling the vampire at an annoying speed. "I'm worried, Hiba-chan!" he whined. "Where's Muku-chan! I haven't seen him all day!" he complained in his usual manner. He tried his best not to sound too worried.

"The tamer went home," Hibarin replied, walking out of his room and into the hallways.

Byakuran stopped in front of Hibarin with a shocked look on his face, successfully stopping the vampire in his tracks. "He ran away?" he asked in a bewildered tone. He was shocked but also extremely glad and a little bit sad at the same time. He'd be a little lonely again but at least Mukuro was safe.

Hibarin walked through the ghost and clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I let him leave." He decided to keep Mukuro's promise to him a secret from the ever curious ghost.

A smile found its place on Byakuran's face and he followed the vampire down the halls. Well, at least Hibarin was a little more talkative now. "Oh," he said with a sly look on his face and a suggestive tone in his voice.

Hibarin turned and narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean _'oh_?'"

Byakuran covered his mouth with the fingers of his right hand, the corner of his lips peeking from behind them. "Oh my" he half-giggled and half-said. "Then what I saw yesterday was real."

The tips of Hibarin's ears grew red and his face went warm. "Perverted ghost, what did you see?" he snarled, wishing he could wrap his fingers around the other's neck and wring tightly. He grinded his teeth together in annoyance and narrowed his eyes when the ghost just smirked.

"I saw enough," he said in an enigmatic manner (annoying manner, in Hibarin's opinion). He giggled again. "I knew that you'd find love one day, Hiba-chan."

"Don't make me call that blond haired herbivore over to exorcise you" Hibarin threatened, walking down the halls with his head held high despite the embarrassment he was feeling.

Byakuran followed him with a smile. "You mean the Cavallone priest?" he questioned. "He's too nice for his own good!"

"He'll do it if I force him to," Hibarin replied bluntly.

Dropping his usual cheeriness, Byakuran stood in front of the vampire again. "Hiba-chan, can we have a talk?" He supposed it was about time that the vampire found out about his worries. Now that he actually cares about Mukuro, maybe he would be willing to do him a favor.

The sudden change in mood threw Hibarin off a little bit and he decided to hear the ghost out for once. "I'm listening." He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an elegant eyebrow when the ghost took his time to reply.

Byakuran chewed on his bottom lip before replying. "Don't let Muku-chan come back."

Hibarin's eyes widened a little in disbelief. Didn't Byakuran like Mukuro? What was this all of a sudden? The vampire stayed silent and waited for the ghost to elaborate.

"It isn't safe here… It never was to begin with…" Byakuran let out a little sigh. "Not for humans, at least" he added.

The look on Hibarin's face told him that he wasn't making any sense. He sighed and continued. "Did you know that there was someone else besides us in this castle?" He asked, crossing his legs in the air as if he was sitting down. The vampire shook his head lightly and he continued. "There is another person here. Another ghost and he's seeking revenge."

Hibarin scoffed. "And what does this have to do with anything?"

"He can't exactly do much if he doesn't have a body." Byakuran stated with a frown. "He's going to try to posses Muku-chan if ever he comes back."

Hibarin moved from his spot and walked to a room that used to be the tea room. He kicked the shattered tea set on the floor that has been there and neglected for the longest time. He sat down on a dusty chair and Byakuran followed suit. Crossing one leg over the other, he let out a huff. "If he wants so much to posses someone, why not leave?" he asked. "Or why not try me?" not that he wanted that other ghost, or _any_ ghost for that matter, to posses his body.

Byakuran laughed but there was no humor behind it. "He's bound to this castle, you see." Byakuran picked up a piece of a broken tea cup that was by his feet and examined it idly. "His blood was spilt in this castle, a curse on his soul." He placed the porcelain shard down. "He cannot leave unless he's in somebody else's body."

"As to why he didn't try to posses you" Byakuran added with a slightly amused smirk, "you're already too well known and feared by every one and your body isn't immune to the sun's rays."

Hibarin nodded thoughtfully. "Who is this other ghost?" he asked with venom in his voice.

Byakuran drummed his fingers against the top of the table. "His name is Daemon Spade," he explained. "I thought he was a comrade but haha, unfortunately he wasn't."

The vampire narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth together. "If that ghost tries anything funny, _I'll bite him to death."_

* * *

><p>Mukuro woke up with a jolt, a thin layer of sweat covering his body. He sat up, his chest heaving up and down, his warm breath visible in the chilly air. He rubbed his right eye with the palm of his hand and sighed. He had a dream he couldn't remember and it bothered him a little bit.<p>

Climbing out of his bed, he made his way to the window. It was a full moon, probably extremely early in the morning. He let out a sigh and grabbed the blanket on the bed and wrapped it around himself. He was sure he wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon.

He walked out of his room and into the hallway. Its been three days since he arrived at the Sawada home. It was a tiny home, barely big enough to accommodate every one, but a home nonetheless.

He heard noises from the kitchen and decided to find out what was causing them. Peeking his head into the dimply lit room, he was a little bit surprised to find Sawada's mother. "Sawada-san?" he asked, walking into the kitchen to join her.

She smiled as she turned off the gas stove. "Mukuro-kun, did I wake you up?" she asked, making her way to the cupboard and rummaging through it.

Mukuro shook his head. "No, I just woke up and now I can't get back to sleep" he explained, taking a seat at the table. "What are you doing awake at this time of the night, Sawada-san?" he asked as she walked back to the stove.

She placed a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of him and sat down with a cup of her own. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd make myself some hot chocolate because it helps my sleep" she said smiling. She tapped the tip of his nose and giggled. "And didn't I tell you to call me Mama from now on?"

Mukuro took a gulp of the hot chocolate. He loved chocolate and this was the best cup of hot chocolate he's ever tasted. "This is delicious. . . " he looked at her and offered a grin. "Mama?" the word was foreign on his tongue. He never even called his own mother that.

She smiled again and stood up, patting him on the head in an affectionate manner. "Thank you, Mukuro-kun." She took a sip from her glass. "You can finish it off in you room if you like but make sure you don't spill, okay?" She smiled once more, looking a little bit sleepy now, and went back to her room.

Mukuro finished the chocolate and rinsed it afterwards.

He closed the door to his room quietly and shivered when he felt a draft come in through the window. He doesn't remember opening it though.

He almost yelped out in surprise when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. Looking back, he found the raven haired vampire burying his face into his back. "You lied," he mumbled.

A gentle smile crept up Mukuro's face and he detached Hibarin's from his body before turning around to hug the vampire. "I missed you," he whispered, nuzzling his chin atop Hibarin's head and hugging him in reply.

Hibarin rested his forehead on Mukuro's chest. "Are you happy here?" he asked.

Mukuro didn't know how to approach the question. It was out of the blue. Was he happy? He was glad that he was back with Chrome and his friends but he wasn't exactly content. "What are you talking about-"

_"Don't come back to the castle."_

The room became deafly quiet.

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**Short chapter is short. Sorry D:**


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm sorry, what?" Mukuro asked, pushing at Hibarin's shoulders to look the vampire in the eye. Mukuro blinked once and waited for an answer. He was probably so ecstatic when he saw the vampire that it momentarily dulled his hearing. He waited for Hibarin to say 'come back to the castle' and was starting to feel a little apprehensive when the vampire took his time to reply.

Hibarin did not avert his eyes. "You heard me," he said in his usual blunt manner. He spun around and made his way to the window to leave. He said what was needed to be said and he saw no point in extending his stay. As he climbed through where he entered (he laughed at the other vampires who refused to enter homes without being invited in. It was pointless) he took one last glance at the tamer.

Before Hibarin could jump out, Mukuro ran to him and grabbed his cape. Using all the strength he could muster, he gave one harsh tug to it and the vampire fell on top of him. "Why?" he asked, wrapping his arms around the vampire's shoulders in a tight embrace. It's only been three days since he's left. He wondered if Hibarin decided that love was something he didn't need.

Hibarin wrapped his fingers around the arms holding him and noticed that his left arm was wrapped in bandages. "What's this?" he asked quietly, avoiding the question. Did the tamer have this when he left the castle? He can't quite remember if he did or not and it bothered him to think that someone would even dare to think about laying a finger on what belongs to him.

"Oh, this?" Mukuro asked, raising his arm to examine his arm. "I got this from when I fell, remember?" He buried his face into Hibarin's raven colored hair and smiled. He's never been this happy before and like hell he was going to give up this happiness. For once, he wanted to be the selfish one.

The vampire tried to recall when Mukuro fell. He pursed his lips when he realized that it was his fault and felt… Guilt? He didn't know but he didn't like uncomfortable tightening of his chest. He grabbed the injured arm gently and stared quietly. "It was my fault."

"It's all right, _mi caro_," Mukuro whispered. "Simply sprained it, is all." He turns the vampire around so that they're facing each other and he stared into his eyes. "Now tell me why I can't come back to the castle, _caro_." It was a gentle command.

Mukuro was taken aback when Hibarin kissed his injured arm gingerly. He blushed at the somewhat intimate gesture, his heart beating loudly in his ears. "Oya, please don't try to avoid the question," he chided playfully, pulling his arm away from the vampire's grasp.

Hibarin turned around to face the tamer, sitting in between his legs. He buried his forehead into Mukuro's shoulder and mumbled incomprehensively his reply.

"You have to speak louder," Mukuro told him. He wrapped his arms around the vampire again in a warm embrace. The fluttering feeling in his stomach was enough to override that anxiety that he felt previously.

"It's not safe anymore," Hibarin said again, a little louder. "I'm sure that the perverted ghost has already informed you of this," he adds. "It is imperative that you stay here."

Mukuro chuckled and stood up, helping the vampire up as well as he did so. "Kufufufu, please, do you think that I am not capable of taking care of myself?" He walked to the window and pulled the curtains apart to let in the beautiful moonlight. "Do you think so lowly of me, Kyouya?" he asked.

He sounded a little bit bitter, in Hibarin's opinion. "How did you know my name?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly. The love-y dove-y atmosphere from a few minutes prior from now was slowly dissolving in the tense air.

Mukuro turned around, the moonlight illuminating his back. "A little bird told me," he replied dryly. Sometimes, he thought to himself, Byakuran told him too much. "But that is not really relevant at the moment now, is it?"

Hibarin bared his fangs and stomped up to Mukuro. "No," he replied. "It isn't." He grabbed the tamer by the collar of his shirt and pressed him against the window. It was unlocked and Mukuro found that the upper half of his body was now dangling from the third floor. "I could kill you very easily," Hibarin hissed. "Snap your neck like a twig; crack your skull like an eggshell, drain you of your blood. All too easily."

Mukuro showed no fear and gripped onto Hibarin's wrists tightly. "Then why don't you?" he asked, his nails beginning to dig into the vampire's flesh. Hibarin barely felt it. "If it's so easy, then kill me now."

Hibarin stared at Mukuro for a few long minutes before he harshly pulled him back inside. He threw the tamer onto his bed and crossed his arms over his chest in aggravation. "Just do as you are told, herbivore," he snapped. Really, the tamer could be extremely annoying sometimes.

"No, I wont," Mukuro replies playfully but he really meant what he just said. He lunges forward and grabs the vampire's shirt, pulling the other into bed with him. "I'd much prefer if you did as_ I_ say," he said when Hibarin gave him an annoyed and confused face.

Hibarin pushed at Mukuro's shoulders and glared. "Irksome herbivore, what do you think you're doing?" he snarled indignantly.

Mukuro sat conceitedly atop of the vampire's stomach. "Nothing in particular," he replied. He bent down to capture the vampire's lips with his own in a tender kiss. "I'll keep coming back to you, Kyouya," he whispered against the other's lips. "Whether you want me to or not."

Hibarin glared up at the tamer but his cheeks were dusted pink. "You're an idiot," he told Mukuro.

The tamer smirked at him. "I'm the idiot that loves you" he said and kissed him again but this time with more passion and fervor. He plunged his tongue into the other's mouth and explored the hot wet cavern that was hibarin's mouth. The familiar tang of blood was evident in his mouth, albeit fainter than before, mingling with a flavor that oddly tasted like cinnamon.

Mukuro liked it.

Hibarin, on the other hand, thought that the tamer tasted like chocolate. He never did like sweets but maybe he was willing to reconsider.

The tamer undid all the buttons of Hibarin's dress shirt at an amazing speed. He brushed his fingers atop pink nubs, smirking when the vampire let out a small groan. The leg that was in between Hibarin's legs began grinding against his crotch and he gasped in surprise.

"Ngh…!" Hibarin pushed the other away angrily and glared. "What do you think you're doing?" he whispered harshly. "Do you want to wake everyone up!"

Mukuro smirked. "But it is you making all the noise, _mi caro."_ He pulled away and laid down next to Hibarin with a smile and a yawn. He turned around to face the vampire and smiled. "When are you going back to the castle?" he asked, pulling the sheets over the both of them before wrapping his arms around the vampire's waist.

Hibarin turned around as well to face the tamer. "As soon as I can," he replied. Although he highly doubted that he would be able to leave soon. If he was right, the sun would be rising in a few hours and even he can't get back that fast.

"I'm coming with you," Mukuro reminded him.

The vampire closed his eyes. "I know."

There were a few minutes of silence before Mukuro spoke again. "I love you."

Hibarin blushed and sighed. "Yes, I know."

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**I'm really sorry guys ; A ; I didn't think college would take so much of my time. Neither did I think it would destroy a majority of my brain cells. This is a really short chapter**


	9. Chapter 9

The moon had reached its peak by the time the two arrived at the Castle. It was a considerably troublesome departure from the Sawada residence, seeing as it took a lot of dodging and hiding from the others for Mukuro to get away unnoticed. The only person whom knew of his leave was Chrome, whom swore to keep it a secret until he came back. She didn't like the idea of leaving Mukuro with the vampire her boss was so afraid of but if it was Mukuro's wishes, so be it.

Mukuro glanced up at the sky with an enigmatic smile plastered on his face. "If I do recall correctly, it was a full moon, too, when we first met, no?" He grinned at Hibarin and chuckled. "Kufufufu, you certainly swept me off my feet."

A jab to Mukuro's stomach was all it took for Hibarin to shut him up. "You're too being noisy," he said, sending a glare at the monster tamer. He picked up his pace, leaving Mukuro a few feet behind him. "If we do not move quickly, the sun will rise soon."

Mukuro clutched his stomach, wincing slightly as he caught up with the vampire. He spun his trident idly in one hand and stared at Hibarin. "Where exactly are we going, mi caro?" he asked as they took a turn that lead them to the village instead of the castle. "Don't tell me you're after blood," he said with raised eyebrows.

A feral grin spread across Hibarin's face. "That is partially the reason," he replied before stopping. "And your pathetic excuse of a weapon will have no effect on a ghost," he told the monster tamer. "Not yet, at least."

Mukuro pouted before sighing. "Won't the villagers panic when they see you?" he asked, tossing his trident in the air like a baton before catching it. It's been a long time since he's used it so he thought he might practice with it for a while.

Hibarin scoffed. "They are nothing more than mere herbivores; too cowardly to come out at night when the hunters come out to play," he replied, licking his lips in anticipation.

Mukuro stared in slight awe at the Church that stood before them. Though it wasn't nearly as huge as the castle, the colorful stained glass windows shone beautifully in the moonlight, showing scenes of patron saints and their God. Mukuro never believed in God, nor any other holy deities for that matter, but he did find the Bible an interesting book to read.

Hibarin kicked the tall, dark brown mahogany doors. A dull thud resonated in the church as the doors hit the wall and the vampire invited himself in like it was his home. He strode down the aisle, his cape fluttering behind him as he called "Cavallone, get out here."

The sound of a flower vase crashing and breaking into a thousand pieces brought Mukuro's attention to a blond at the alter of Mother Mary, staring at the flowers he dropped on the floor. The blond pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and picked up the shards of porcelain but sent a grin at Hibarin. "Good evening, Kyouya!" he greeted.

Mukuro felt a small stab of jealousy hit him but he disregarded the feeling and approached the blond priest to help him. He picked up the flowers and handed them to the blond with a jaded smile. "You should be more careful" he told the priest.

With a wary smile, the priest placed the shards on one of the pews to dispose later. He thanked Mukuro and placed the flowers on the altar, bowing slightly at Mother Mary's statue and whispered an apology under his breath. He turned to face the two who entered. "You've been coming more often as of late, Kyouya," he tells the vampire.

"Hn," replied Hibarin offhandedly, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"And who might you be?" the blond asked, turning to Mukuro. "I don't think I've seen you around the village before" he said, rubbing his chin in thought.

Before Mukuro could answer, Hibarin pushed him aside and roughly shoved the priest up against the wall behind him. "Enough useless banter, Cavallone," he said in his usual cold manner. "We're in need of your assistance" he added.

Cavallone sent a wary smile at Mukuro. "He's always so rough," he said with a sheepish lilt in his tone.

Hibarin dropped him down and walked to one of the pews and sat down. He crossed one leg over the other and his arms over his chest. "Tamer, give him your weapon," the vampire commands. "Cavallone, bless it." Hibarin didn't believe in divine powers of heaven but it worked against demons (at least the priest told him it worked) so he supposed it would work against ghosts as well.

Cavallone raised his eyebrow but accepted the weapon that Mukuro handed him. He led the tamer to the end of the room, opening the case that stood behind the pulpit and pulled out a bottle of holy water. "It's not everyday that I do this, you know," Cavallone said mostly to himself rather Mukuro. "I'm Dino Cavallone, by the way," he added.

Mukuro stared at the priest as he doused the weapon he held. Dino muttered a few prayers under his breath, eyes closed and finally was done. He smiled brightly at the tamer and handed his weapon back. "Done and done!" He placed everything back where it belongs and made the sign of the cross. "I trust you two aren't up to too much trouble, hmm?"

"Kufufufu~ What a peculiar priest," Mukuro said, inspecting his trident (though there wasn't much difference from before it was blessed). "If I recall correctly, you are from The Cavallone Family, yes?" He smiled. "The heir to the Cavallone fortune and son of the Mofioso boss, Don Cavallone."

Dino stiffened at the mention of his father's name. "I'm guessing you aren't just a normal youngster up to pranks, huh?" he said without turning around, clenching and unclenching his fists out of nervous habit.

Mukuro sat down on the table where priests usually had their sermons and crossed one leg over the other. "No, I'm just a boy who hears rumors, is all" he replied with a sly smile. "I didn't hear why you turned to the life of a priest, though. Was it a bout of rebellion against your father?"

Dino turned around and almost gasped in shock at the sight of Mukuro sitting on a place considered sacred. He urged the boy to get down and was glad that he complied. "I don't think it's any of your business, now is it?" he replied. "Now let's not talk about me, alright? Mind me asking what you boys are up to?"

"_Murder_" Hibarin replied.

The two conversing at the pulpit turned their attention to the vampire who was slowly growing impatient. Dino frowned and approached the raven haired vampire. "I thought you said you weren't going to do that anymore!" he whined, his glasses sliding slightly down his nose. "I'm not allowing you to leave the church if that's what you're up to!"

Mukuro laughed. "He's joking, Dino," he said, joining them. "Or would you rather I call you Father Cavallone?"

Dino forced a smile. "Please, just call me Dino," he replied and pushed his glasses back into place. "Well, Kyouya," he said, turning back to the vampire, "is that all you needed?"

Hibarin reached forward and grabbed the priest by the collar of his shirt. "I need_ blood_" he replied before sinking his teeth into the blond priest. After all, he's been starving ever since Mukuro left his castle because of the promise her made. Even if he drank blood from Mukuro, it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy his hunger. Besides, he thought to himself, if he drank any more from Mukuro the tamer might have not been well enough to defend himself.

Dino gasped and grabbed at Hibarin's shoulders to keep himself from falling to the ground.

Mukuro frowned and gripped his trident tightly, eye twitching. He felt ridiculous. Horribly ridiculous for feeling jealous of the priest. He didn't like it when Hibarin drank from him, right? He ground his teeth, silently fuming, and kept his thoughts to himself.

Finally, Hibarin let the priest go and Dino fell in a heap on the stone floor. He licked his lips and smiled at the blond. "It's been a while since I've tasted your blood," he commented as if talking about the weather.

Dino held his neck where the vampire bit him. "A warning would have been nice, Kyouya" he chided the vampire lightly. "I never liked the feeling-"

"Stop being a baby," Hibarin said, cutting him off. He pulled Mukuro by the sleeve and down the aisle. He pushed the tamer out the door and before he left, he turned to the priest who staggered to his feet, using the pew for support. "Thank you, Cavallone."

It was the first time Dino heard a word of thanks from the vampire and smiled and laughed. "You will always be welcome here, Kyouya. Remember that."

The rest of the walk to the castle was quiet before Mukuro spoke. "Who is he to you?" he asked. "That Cavallone priest?"

Hibarin raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Jealous?" he asked, with a laugh. "You humor me."

Mukuro jutted his lower lip in a pout. "No. . ." It was a blatant lie; of course he was jealous.

The vampire sighed and rolled his eyes. "If you really must know, then I shall tell you," he replied. Mukuro's curiosity was piqued so Hibarin continued. "He was somewhat like you: an idiot who came to my castle but unlike you, he was searching for a place to hide."

"He was always like that, naive, trusting and fearless. Reminded me much of the boy named Fearnot from my time in Germany. I decided to entertain him; pretend I liked him. He was happy that, even after he told me of his soon to be mafioso life, I didn't care."

"Jokingly, I told him to become a priest. They would never suspect to look for him there." Hibarin laughed. "The idiot actually did it."

Mukuro hummed in understanding and kicked a small stone that was in the path. "So when did he find out about you being a vampire?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Unless, of course, he knew it all along."

"He found out once the villagers came to him, asking him to send the beast, namely me, to the lowest depths of hell."

Hibarin stopped, as did Mukuro. "What did he do then?" asked the tamer.

"He made an offer very much similar to yours," replied the vampire. "But I didn't take it."

"Why ever not?" Mukuro asked.

He didn't interest me," Hibarin replied. "Besides, the mafia is in his blood," the vampire added. "He offered information. . . people he said that I could kill." He grinned at Mukuro bitterly. "The poor fool will follow his destiny whether he wants to or not."

"Ho, that's a very depressing story, Kyouya," Mukuro replied. He walked in front of Hibarin and smiled. "How about I tell you a less depressing story, hmm?" he asked with a mischievous smile on his face. "How about it,_ mi caro_?"

Hibarin huffed. "I don't care."

Mukuro grinned. "So its about this boy," he said. "He was always shunned by the people he thought were friends so he decided that he would be better off on his own. He'd explore the forests and come back home filthy and tired."

"It wasn't long till rumors started to spread._ 'The boy is a devil_,' people would say,_ 'a monster_.' Of course the boy never minded the rumors but his mother, his ever caring mother, was beginning to doubt her one and only son."

"_'Mama, why aren't my eyes the same color?'_ the boy sometimes would ask his mother_. 'Why am I different from everyone else?'_ The poor woman didn't know why her son was like that but she'd always tell him_ 'it's because you are my one and only son; my precious little boy.'_"

"It was one night when the boy's father couldn't take the pressure any more. _'Get that monster away from here!'_ he screamed but his mother screamed back:_ 'no! You can't take him away from me! I wont let you!'_"

"The poor boy, sleepy and confused didn't know why his father was mad but he tried to apologize._ 'I'm sorry Papa, I won't do it again,'_ he foolishly told his father. The old man growled._ 'I'll kill him myself if I have to!'"_

"So the mother ran away with her son. Far away from the village that shunned her son and settled in a cozy little cottage at the edge of a new village. Sadly, the small family of two never saw it coming: the boy's mother grew ill and it wasn't long till she passed away. The boy didn't cry but he was grateful for the things that his mother gave to him."

"Years later, independent and a little bit cynical, the boy finds himself in love with a peculiar vampire," Mukuro ended the story with a coy smile. "Did I mention the boy was an _extremely_ handsome boy?" he added with an air of arrogance, leaning slightly on his trident for support.

They stood in front of the castle doors now and Mukuro grinned at the vampire. "What do you think of the story, Kyouya?" He asked. "I'm a pretty good story teller, huh-"

Mukuro wasn't expecting the vampire to pull him down for a kiss but he didn't mind.

When Hibarin finally pulled away, he averted his gaze and pushed the door open. "That was the worst story I've ever heard," he muttered. "And I bet the boy was as ugly as a rotting corpse."

"Kufufufu~ You aren't very fun, Kyouya," Mukuro said, happily before stepping into the castle.

Neither of the two expected Mukuro to be pulled in by an unseen force and the door slammed shut on Hibarin's face.

* * *

><p><strong>An:**  
><strong>Sorry for slow updating. Also, the computer I'm using doesn't have spell check so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. I'll edit it again when I get home to my baby.<strong>

**Also, a little foot note: Fearnot is a German folk tale about a boy who didn't know the meaning of fear. Go search it up if you like.**

**Sorry if Mukuro's story telling part was a little confusing.**


	10. Chapter 10

Mukuro was getting a little bit tired of being manhandled so he glared up at whoever it was that pinned him against the stone walls. The man was tall and he held a striking resemblance to himself except he had blue hair instead of indigo. He gripped his trident tightly in his hand and forced a smile. "I don't think we've met before," he said conversationally.

"Nufufufu~ it's a shame that we haven't, really" the man replied with a grin. "The name's Daemon. Daemon Spade" he introduced. He let go of Mukuro and chuckled as the boy fixed the collar of his shirt. "I'm wondering, young man, do you know who I am?" he asked with a sly smile.

Mukuro laughed. "Are you forgetful, old man? You just introduced yourself," he replied sarcastically. It was obvious enough that the ghastly man before him—no, the ghostly man before him was definitely the person Byakuran was talking about. He doesn't know how to defend himself against ghosts (he was actually hoping that he could get to talk to Byakuran first or maybe read a book about ghosts first but alas, fate is fickle) but stood in a battle stance anyway.

"Rude, aren't you?" he chided. "And here I was hoping you'd join me for a cup of tea," he added before summoning his own weapon, a scythe. "Do you really wish to spar against me, boy?" he asked, walking ever so slowly towards Mukuro. "Why not just surrender your body to me? Less complicated that way, don't you think?"

Mukuro wasn't stupid. Fighting something he didn't have a clear grasp of is like walking into a street covered in mist at nigh: _risky_. Though he was a risk taker (after all, life was more exciting with risks), he didn't want to put his life on the line just yet. He wanted to be the one pulling the strings; the puppeteer rather the puppet. He kept his stance firm for a few quiet seconds before running to the general direction of the west wing.

Daemon, caught off guard by the tamer's sudden dash, turned around and swung his scythe at him. As it sliced through the air towards Mukuro, it caught ablaze; a brilliant indigo flame that illuminated the dark foyer.

The tamer's eyes widened, taken aback by the flame, and he barely blocked it with his own weapon. He held his trident tightly with both hands, pushing back the ghost with all this might. They pulled their weapons apart, realizing that their strength was almost at par.

"Nufufufu! Certainly, you shall make a perfect host!" the ghost praised. Brandishing his weapon, he made his way toward Mukuro once more. "Now be a good boy and surrender, yes?"

Mukuro backed away slowly, his brow furrowing in slight disgust. "Over my dead body" he replied before sprinting once more to the west wing. Thankfully, he managed to run fast enough to dodge another attack and he ran down the sinuous hallways, which he had memorized in his head, and into a random room.

Before Daemon could run after the tamer, the tall doors burst open and left dents on the stone wall it crashed against. An angry looking Hibarin stepped into the castle, tonfas at the ready as he glared at the ghost that abducted Mukuro. "_Herbivore_," he snarled. "Just what do you think you are doing?" he asked, raising his arms to chest, completely ready for a fight.

Daemon stiffened at the sight of Hibarin but he grinned anyway. "Oh my," he said in mock shock. "It's the infamous Hibarin." The ghost wasn't at his strongest so he calculated every step he took when it came to the vampire. "Did you come to save your friend? I'm afraid that it's pointless." With a snap of his fingers, the whole room was shrouded in darkness.

Hibarin was unfazed by his temporary blindness and waited for his eyes to adjust in the dark. Seeing a silhouette from the corner of his eye, he dashed towards it and swung his tonfa down with all his might, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Realizing that what he was aiming at was a decoy, Hibarin growled. "Hiding is for the weak," he spat. "Come out."

"Nufufufu~" Daemon chuckled. "Truly a worthy adversary, aren't you?" he commented, leaning dangerously close behind Hibarin. He blew gently at the vampire's ear in a taunting manner and quickly dodged the hit that was aimed at his abdomen. "Why not join me instead?"

"Do not herd me with yourself, you sordid herbivore," he hissed.

Daemon's right eye was suddenly engulfed in an indigo flame that didn't seem to hurt him. "Then you shall die by my hand."

The loud crash that echoed in the hallways caused Mukuro to pause momentarily, brows furrowed in concern. Shaking his head, he continued down the halls with determination. He was sure that Hibarin could take care of himself for a little while but for now, he needed to find a certain someone for help. "Byakuran?" he called out, dashing towards the library where he hoped to find the ghost.

Before he could reach the doors of the library, a gust of wind too strong to be naturally caused in the closed area swept through him and he paused in his tracks. He spun on his heel and was glad to see that the ghost he was looking for had done the same.

Byakuran's eyes were wide in surprise and frowned. "Muku-chan! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, shaking his head. "No, no, no! You're not supposed to be here!"

"Byakuran, Hibarin is out there fighting Daemon as we speak," the monster tamer explained as calmly as he could. Mukuro collected himself before letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "You have to tell me: _how do I kill a ghost?_"

* * *

><p>Chrome intended to keep the promise she made with Mukuro but it was proving more and more difficult to do when she found herself at the center of attention, all eyes on her. She fidgeted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze of both Gokudera and Ken. "U-uhm. . . "<p>

Ken growled, pushing away the silver haired teen that got in his way. He slammed his hands on the table with a glare. "Stupid girl! Where the hell is Mukuro-sama?" he snarled and picked her up by the neck of her shirt. "I know you know where he is, pyon!"

Everyone gasped at Ken's vulgar actions and Tsuna immediately tried to pull them apart. "K-Ken! Put Chrom-chan down!" he pleaded frantically.

The usually stoic Kakipi stood up, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose before separating his two friends by force. He suspended Ken in his right hand and Chrome in his left, holding them a few feet apart. Tsuna stumbled to the ground in between them but was thankful that no one was hurt. "Ken, calm down," Kakipi instructed sternly.

"Y-you can put them down, now" Tsuna said nervously.

Kakipi shook his head. "No," he replied simply before turning to Chrome. "Why won't you tell us where Mukuro-sama is?" he asked in his usual dull manner (though he intended to sound gentle). He put Chrome down and patted her head but kept a firm hold on Ken.

Yamamoto laughed as usual, trying to lighten the mood. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to!" he told her with a grin on his face.

Pandemonium broke loose.

Ken slipped out of his jacket and tackled the zombie baseball player to the ground and shook him by the collar. "YOU IDIOT, PYON! DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?" In his fit of anger, Ken didn't notice that Yamamoto's head had fallen off and rolled towards Lambo who shrieked in terror and started bawling.

Ryohei, who had been sleeping, woke up and yawned before promptly screaming "I'M EXTREMELY AWAKE!" into Tsuna's unknowing ear. Gokudera berated him quickly before throwing himself on top of Ken to shake him off Yamamoto. The zombie's body sat up, hands groping the ground in search for its laughing head.

Chrome stared at the ground in the midst of chaos, clenching and unclenching the material of her pink dress in her hands. Ken and Gokudera rolled in front of her in a struggle, insulting each other and attempting to punch the other into unconsciousness. She frowned, brows furrowed in thought before finally speaking. "I… I…" She started quietly.

The room went silent and everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the mummy.

"I… made a promise to Mukuro-sama," she continued. "I p-promised that I wouldn't tell anyone where he went." She felt like she betrayed her closest friend by speaking these words and chose then to keep her mouth shut.

Tsuna, whom finally recovered, made his way towards Chrome and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He's supposed to be recovering, Chrome-chan," he told her gently. "We're only concerned about his well being." Though he was intimidated (scared out of his wits) by Mukuro, Tsuna meant what he said; the indigo haired boy was a part of their family now.

A little bit touched by Tsuna's words, she squirmed a little in her place, maundering quietly to herself for a few moments before speaking up again. "H-he went back to that castle," she said, finally giving in. She didn't know the logistics of Mukuro's plans; she trusted in him so much that what he did didn't matter as long as he was safe.

There was a pregnant pause before Gokudera kicked Ken off himself and piped up. "That castle! Where that crazy bastard vampire lives?" He shook his head in disbelief and paced across the room a little. "Why in the world would he go back there?" he questioned, throwing his hands in the air in confusion. It made no sense to him.

Yamamoto placed his head back into its place and smiled thankfully at Chrome when she wrapped bandages around his neck to keep it in its place. "Maybe he forgot something?" he said, laughing lightly again.

Kakipi held Ken back before the ware-dog could attack Yamamoto. "He had nothing to forget when he went there," he replied.

"That isn't the point, pyon!" Ken whined.

Gokudera growled and punched Ken in the gut to calm him down. "That what _is_ the point, you noisy dog?" He huffed indignantly under Kakipi's stern gaze bared his teeth in annoyance.

"I just want to know that he's safe," Chrome whispered in a voice that was barely audible.

A pensive silence fell upon the group as they all avoided each other's gazes.

"Idiots," chimed a tiny voice from behind them. "All of you."

"Elder R-rebo!" Tsuna flailed his arms in surprise and briefly wondered why he wasn't used the magician's sudden appearances. "Wh-what do you mean?" he asked, doing his best to avoid the magician's staff that swayed at his direction.

"If all of you are so concerned about him, why not just pay him a visit and ask him why he went back?" he asked, hopping onto the couch that sat in the middle of the room. "It's as simple as that so I don't see what all the bickering is about," he elaborated.

"Even if we left now, it would take _days_ to get to the castle!" Gokudera said, slightly frustrated. "And even if we had a carriage, it'd take hours! He might be dead by then!"

Chrome flinched at Gokudera's harsh words but was slightly shocked when Ken silently slipped his hand into her small one. His hand was warm and comforting in her grasp, and she clutched his hand tightly. "H-he's not weak," she stuttered.

"That's right, pyon!" Ken added. Once he was sure Chrome felt a little more at ease, he quickly pulled his hand back and raised his fist triumphantly. "Mukuro-sama would never lose!" he cheered. "Now let's get a move on right now so we can pick him up, pyon!" He wagged his tail excitedly.

Elder Rebo grinned and tossed Tsuna a bottle of little red candies. "Those will come in handy," he told his student before drifting to sleep.

Tsuna barely caught the bottle and held it tightly in his hand, nodding. He turned to everyone and grinned, trying his best to take lead. "Then lets go meet up with Mukuro, guys!"

"I think I saw an unused carriage in the forest nearby," Kakipi informed. "I'll get it," he said before leaving the house to retrieve the said item. Ken and Chrome followed after him, more than eager to see Mukuro and bring him home safe.

"Oi, baseball idiot! Help me out here," Gokudera instructed as he picked up Ryohei who had fallen asleep. "Fuckin' idiot fell asleep again," he groaned.

Lambo excitedly followed Gokudera and Yamamoto out the door, thinking that they were going on another adventure. "Neh, neh! Lambo-sama is going to find a whole lot of treasure and slay a lot of demons!" he cheered happily despite Gokudera's death threats.

Before Tsuna himself could exit his home, his mother came up to him with a basket filled with goodies. Accepting the heavy basket, he gave his mother a questioning glance. "What's this for?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "Hiie! Why is it so heavy?"

His mother giggled and kissed his cheek. "Elder Rebo said you were going on a trip so I decided to pack snacks for all of you!" he told him. "Though I don't know why you'd go on a trip at night!" she added. "Wouldn't it be nicer if you left in the morning?"

Tsuna panicked slightly, looking for a realistic lie to tell his mom. "We, uh, um, want to get to the castle before everyone else does!" he replied.

"Oh, alright then, Tsu-kun," she kissed him once more before ushering him out the door with a smile on her face. "Then I don't want to keep you then! Have a safe trip, okay!"

Tsuna nodded. "Okay, mom!"

"Oh, and say hi to Mukuro-kun and his friend for me!" she said, waving goodbye to her son.

The young boy didn't realize what his mother had said and just nodded again before meeting his friends at the outskirts of the small town. He stared at the carriage that Kakipi found in slight awe. It looked very expensive he noted before placing the heavy basket down by his feet. It looked small as well. He smiled sheepishly at everyone. "I-I'm sure we can squeeze in if we tried," he told them awkwardly.

"Don't worry, Boss!" Gokudera smiled. "I've got it figured out!" He dragged Ryohei to the front of the carriage and put ropes into the larger boy's hands and snapped at Kakipi to do the same. Wordlessly, the golem did as he was told and stood by the napping monster. "Lawn head and Kakipi can pull us!" he said happily. "Like the rickshaws in China!"

Tsuna pulled out the bottle of monmon candy from his pocket and raised it to eye level. "So we give them some, right?" he asked.

Gokudera nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah! I knew you'd catch on, boss!"

Chrome approached Kakipi and held onto his sleeve, a little concerned. "Will you be alright pulling all of us?" she asked quietly. When he nodded she smiled in relief. "If you get tired, just say so and I'll ask boss to stop," she added.

Tsuna, Chrome, Lambo and Yamamoto crammed themselves into the small carriage, just barely getting the door closed, trying to find the most comfortable position they could manage. Ken immediately climbed on top, his tail wagging excitedly as they readied themselves. "You can do it, Kakipi-megane pyon!" the ware-dog cheered.

Gokudera placed a few monmon candies into Kakipi's hand and popped one into Ryohei's mouth. He scrambled on top of the carriage next to Ken and braced himself, grabbing onto anything he could. "Hold on, everyone!" he instructed.

Ryohei woke up, filled with energy and grinned happily. Kakipi took this moment and placed his own piece of candy into his mouth and felt the sudden rush of energy run through him. The two tall monsters began to run at an amazing speed with Ryohei screaming "EXTREME!" all the way.

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**I was about to say _"ignore all mistakes"_ but I changed my mind. Please point out all my mistakes. I have no betareader and when I reread some chapters, I saw a lot of mistakes, pyon.**

**OTL**


	11. Chapter 11

"We have to get you out of here," the ghost said, looking for the nearest exit. He walked up to a window and pushed it open with slight difficulty and stared down. "Can you survive a twenty foot drop, Muku-chan?" he asked with an almost innocent smile. "Because I don't think it's safe to use the front door anymore."

Mukuro set his lips in a tight line. "Don't be ridiculous, Byakuran" he huffed indignantly. "I didn't come here to leave."

Byakuran closed the windows. "It wouldn't be of use, anyway." He sighed, dismayed. "You're kinda locked in here whether you like it or not."

The tamer made his way to the window and stuck his hand out and immediately pulled it back in when a surge of electricity ran through him. He shook his hand to rid it of the tingling and slightly painful feeling and stared at the ghost. "Seeing as I have no choice anyway, please be a dear and tell me how to kill ghosts."

Byakuran tilted his head to the side in thought. "Well," he said "the usual process is to help them with the problems that bound them to the earth." He rubbed his chin in thought "There's something that's keeping him here, Muku-chan, and I'm sad to say that I don't know what it is."

"Surely there must be some other way," he almost pleaded. "Kyouya may be strong but I don't think he can fight forever." He rubbed circles at his right temple in hopes of calming himself down. He had to be logical but it was proving to be difficult, seeing as he had little to no information about ghosts. Also, he had no clue as to what was keeping Daemon Spade on earth.

"Well, there is another way," Byakuran said, slamming his fist gently into his open palm in realization. "Although you will need the so called power of 'God,'" he said, using both his index and middle fingers to emphasize the last word. He didn't believe in any religious deities, something he and Mukuro had in common. "But Muku-chan," he said with a small frown "you shouldn't have come back."

"Not this again," Mukuro complained.

Byakuran shook his head and sighed. "I guess you're as stubborn as Hiba-chan," he concluded. "I'll go get the Cavallone priest, then." He scratched the back of his head and looked down the hall, checking for any signs of battle reaching them. "In the mean time, you should look for any clues that might be useful."

Before the ghost left Mukuro, he turned around and placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "But Mukuro, let me warn you," the white haired ghost started seriously, "If Daemon tries to get into your head, it will be close to impossible to stay in control; it's a battle of wills and, unfortunately, you'll be at a disadvantage." His hand passed through and he retracted it.

The tamer raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

The ghost grinned bitterly. "He's had all his life and more to think about his goals."

* * *

><p>Hibarin decided that he <em>hated<em> ghosts.

"You herbivore," he snarled "stop hiding." Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was having a difficult time fighting the ghost. It was still dark and even though he had given himself enough time to adjust his eyes to the darkness, much to his dismay, he only saw black. He came to the assumption that this was no ordinary darkness and the fact alone increased his annoyance.

"Nufufufu~" Daemon chuckled, grinning madly in the dark. "Does it vex you?" he taunted. "Does the unknown make you wary?"

Hibarin smiled ferociously and gripped his tonfa's tighter. "Wao, are you stupid?" he asked, walking forward in the dark, pressing a button on his weapon. Two chains with small weights at the ends slid out and he spun them around at an inhuman speed. "Did you think something as ordinary as the dark would throw me off?" he sneered. "Pathetic."

Daemon's brow quirked up, amused and impressed with the reply he received. "Nufufufu, quite the interesting young man you are, Hibarin" he commented. "Are you certain that you do not wish to make a contract with me? I am sure that you will gain plenty of benefits."

Hibarin scoffed. "Who would side with a cowardly herbivore like you?" he asked, swinging his tonfa and chain towards the source of Daemon's voice. "I work on my own." It crashed against a wall, debris flying at random directions. It didn't bother Hibarin though, even as a few small pieces hit the side of his arm.

Daemon summoned his scythe and finally dismissed the darkness he had created. "I shall entertain you, Hibarin" he said with a grin. "You should be thankful," he said as he dashed forward, attempting to slam his scythe against the vampire's skull. He was both impressed and annoyed that Hibarin blocked it effortlessly. "It's not everyday that I let other's fight me fairly."

Hibarin pushed the ghost away and swung his tonfa forward. Metal clashed against metal and he pushed forward, pressing his weight against the other's. "Enough talk," he said flatly and let Daemon's scythe slice through the air where he was previously at. He bent down and did a leg sweep.

Daemon was quick enough to jump back before Hibarin's leg made contact with his. He was going to enjoy this fight.

* * *

><p>The group stared at the tall mahogany doors as they scrambled out of the cramped carriage. With mixed emotions making them feel a little awkward, Chrome was the first to step forward and she gave the doors a small push. It didn't budge. "It's locked," she muttered, turning back to all of them.<p>

Ken, impatient as always, pushed her aside. "Stupid girl," he said over his shoulder, "you're just not pushing strong enough, pyon!" Giving his shoulder a roll, he placed both hands on the door and pushed with all his might. Much to his annoyance and disappointment, the door stayed shut. He grumbled and folded his arms over his chest and let out a little huff. "It's locked, pyon" he muttered.

"M-maybe if we all pushed together?" Tsuna suggested, joining Ken by the door. "Maybe it's just jammed or something."

Gokudera shoot his head. "There's some sort of barrier around the castle," he explained. "Not that your idea was bad, boss!" he said with an enthusiastic grin. He examined the door, looking it up and down before turning to the group. "Whoever or whatever made this is trying to keep us out," he added.

"Or someone in," Chrome added, her eye wide with concern.

Yamamoto laughed as per usual, his fingers interlaced behind his head. "Maybe if we knock, they'll let us in!" he said with a bright grin.

"Are you dense, baseball idiot?" Gokudera shouted, hitting the backside of the zombie's head in annoyance. "This isn't a fucking game, you moron!" Yamamoto's head fell off, rolling down the inclined area.

Ryohei, who had finally joined them, bent down to pick up the rolling head and handed it to the zombie's awaiting arms. "But what if they extremely opened the doors anyway?" he asked the group. The monmon candy's effect wore off and Ryohei went back to being asleep.

Gokudera's palm met his face in an act of aggravation. "I swear I'm surrounded by idiots," he groaned as he dragged his hand down his face.

"Well, there's no harm in trying, right?" Tsuna asked with a sheepish grin. Just as his knuckle collided lightly with the door, a gust of wind passed through him and sent him stumbling backwards. "HIIIEEEE!" he screamed, putting his arms over his head in hopes of protecting himself.

"Shit! What was that?" the silver haired boy exclaimed, pulling out several of his sticks of dynamite from wherever he kept them. "Jyudaime, be careful!" he said, placing himself in front of Tsuna as a human shield. Whatever it was that came out of the door, he didn't like it.

Chrome saw the figure of a man clad completely in white. "Wait!" she yelled, dashing forward to catch up. She reached her hand out to grab his shoulder but stumbled forward when it passed through him. A little bit startled, she readjusted her wayward eye patch and stared dumbly at the ghost who finally turned around.

The others were soon at her side, ready for whatever battle the ghost would provide them with.

"Oh my," he ghost said in honest shock. "Could it be that you are Muku-chan's friends?" he turned around to look at Chrome in the eye. She was pretty, he thought, and looked very much like Mukuro. He wondered briefly if they were related and realized that he was in a hurry. "What was it you wanted?" he asked with a kind smile. "Please, do hurry. I have to be somewhere right now, you see," he told her.

Chrome, very uncomfortable with the ghost's close proximity, inched backwards a little. "U-uhm, you know Mukuro-sama?" she asked timidly.

Byakuran nodded happily. "Yes! Yes I do!" He took her hand in his and shook it briefly before it slipped through. "You must be Chrome-chan!"

"Oi, you poltergeist, what's the deal with the barrier, huh?" Gokudera complained, pointing at the still closed doors. "What the hell is happening in there?" he asked.

Tsuna shivered a little in his place. "HIEEE, i-i-it's a ghost?"

"I'm not an '_it_!'" Byakuran complained. "You're quite rude, aren't you?"

Yamamoto laughed with a grin on his face. "I'm Yamamoto!" he introduced. "What's your name?"

Ken rubbed his head, irked. "Everyone just shut up, pyon!" he practically roared. When everyone finally went quiet, he turned his attention to Byakuran. "Now where the hell is Mukuro-sama?" he snarled. "If you did anything to him, I swear I'll tear you apart, pyon!"

"You can't," Kakipi side commented "he's a ghost." He was promptly ignored.

Byakuran smiled. With more people working at defeating Daemon, maybe they had a chance. "Muku-chan is trapped inside there, I'm afraid, and he's still in the process of finding a way out." He looked at everyone and continued. "The barrier was put up by another ghost, Daemon Spade, and as I said Muku-chan can't get out and you can't get in."

"Meaning to say you can get in," Kakipi asked languidly but questioningly.

Byakuran nodded. "That's right."

"Is there any way that we can get in?" Tsuna asked. "Any other way at all?"

Byakuran thought about it. "Actually, yes," he told them and before anyone could ask another question he raised his hand, gesturing for them to listen to him. "But one of you will have to let me posses their bodies."

Gokudera growled. "Don't do it, Jyuudaime. He's just trying to trick us!"

"Is that all? Because I _reaaaalllly _need to get somewhere," Byakuran whined.

"L-let me do it," Chrome said loudly. "I'll do it."

Ken growled. "No!" he exclaimed. "That silver haired freak is right, Pyon!" He stood in between Chrome and the ghost and bared his fangs. "He's just trying to trick us!"

Byakuran sighed. "Look, there are two types of possession: one is by force wherein I take over without your consent," he explained. "And two, consensual. This is when I switch places with the person who is willing to let me posses them." It was as simple as the explanation could get and he hoped they understood.

Lambo, who miraculously understood the fact that they couldn't enter through the door despite his simple mindedness, commented and made his way to an open window nearby. "Neh, neh, what if Lambo-san goes through the window? He'll be inside before everyone else! Nyahahaha!" he laughed. Though his laugher was immediately replaced by crying when a surge of electricity ran through his body. He retreated to Tsuna and continued crying, saying the window was being unfair.

"Yes, so as you can see, entering through the windows would be useless" the white haired ghost said. "But really, decide now or I'll leave you to find a way in on your own."

Chrome pushed Ken aside with a little bit of force and looked at his annoyed face. "Let me do it," she said. "_Please_" she pleaded.

Ken blushed and scratched the back of his head in annoyance. "Fine, you stupid girl! Do what you want, I don't care, pyon!" He folded his arms atop his chest and nibbled on his bottom lip, glaring at nothing in particular.

Chrome smiled slightly then turned to the ghost. "Okay," she silently said. "What do I have to do?"

Byakuran nodded his head once and went in front of Chrome and held her hands. "Chrome-chan, just relax and imagine that you're floating away," he instructed gently. "The more relaxed you are, the faster this will be."

Chrome breathed in and out, thinking back to all the times she shared with Mukuro, Ken and Kakipi. Those were the times she cherished, the times that made her smile and the times that she wanted to protect no matter what the cost. Slowly, her soul started drifting out of her body as Byakuran's started to enter.

"Chrome-chan," a voice scarily similar to hers called. "You can open your eyes now."

There were a few astonished gasps and Chrome opened her single eye. She gasped as well in shock to find her own eye staring back at her. She looked at her feet and instead found a very ghostly tail hovering inches above the ground. "W-wow," she exclaimed.

Byakuran, who was now inside Chrome's body, smiled happily. "Now, the process of returning to your body is very similar." He turned around and started a jog towards the village where he hoped to find the Cavallone priest. "Chrome-chan, go to the castle and look for Muku-chan. Tell him of the situation outside" he instructed. "Half of the group, follow me! Everyone else, stay at the castle and stand guard in case something happens. We'll regroup later."

Chrome's voice sounded much more confident and strong when Byakuran used it and it unnerved the group a little bit.

Ken followed Chrome's body, not entirely trusting the ghost inside it. Kakipi followed without a word.

Gokudera rubbed his chin in thought. "Jyuudaime, I think it'd be best if you went along with them," he told Tsuna. "It'll be safer if you went with them, even if I don't entirely like them" he grumbled begrudgingly. "The baseball idiot and I will stay here. You can leave the idiot cow as well." The silver haired boy handed his boss several pieces of monmon candy just in case.

Tsuna handed the now napping Lambo to Gokudera and started to follow the trio to the village. "Be careful, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto!" he called back. "And take care of Onii-san for me too!" he added as an after thought, remembering Ryohei's sleeping form.

Chrome headed towards the castle, Gokudera and Yamamoto following her. As she stood in front of the doors, she turned around at the two and fidgeted slightly. "Umm, ano…" she said shyly.

Gokudera grumbled. "Just get in there already," he instructed. "And if something goes wrong, well be right here, okay?" he added in a gentler tone when Chrome flinched.

"Hahahaha! Have fun in there!" Yamamoto said with a grin.

Chrome nodded and passed through the doors. The castle was as she remembered it when she first entered before but the deeper in she went, the more she got worried. The path was getting more and more dilapidated as she wandered, obviously a sign of an ongoing battle. She gulped and took a less destroyed path, hoping to find Mukuro. "Mukuro-sama?" she called out quietly. She stuck her head into every door that she passed by, mood dampening each time when there was no one inside.

Finally, she found a set of huge doors and found that it was slightly opened. Going inside, she called again. "Mukuro-sama? Are you in here? It's Chrome." She was in the library, she noted, and she wandered through the winding path lined with bookshelves with books of every color and size. A little bit at awe, she temporarily forgot her original goal.

There was a noise behind one of the bookshelves and she stuck her head through. She was happy to have finally found Mukuro, who had this shocked look on his face, and she passed through the book shelf and tackled the monster tamer to the ground in glee.

Mukuro lost his footing slightly but managed to prevent himself from falling as Chrome's ghost passed through him. Turning around, the book in his hand now forgotten, he stared as Chrome stood up again from her place on the ground. "Chrome-chan?" he asked tentatively. Did she die and become a ghost? He got angry at the fact that he didn't get to protect her but kept his emotions in check, and asked "Chrome-chan, what happened?"

Chrome hovered in front of him and discovered that she could turn her ghostly tail into a pair of ghostly legs. She stood in front of him now and smiled slightly. "We met this white haired ghost," she told him. "Then we traded places for a while."

Mukuro nodded in understanding. "Possession?" he asked and when she nodded, he let out a sigh of relief. "Now what exactly do you mean by _we_?" he asked.

* * *

><p><strong>An:  
>Ah, do forgive me for not living up to my 'I'll update every two weeks' deal that I made with myself. Its just that I had my midterms and all and had a field trip and exposure trip this week (AKA: I had a very busy week). I actually still have projects to do, sigh.<strong>

**In the mean time, enjoy the fanfic! I'll try to update soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

It was a fruitless effort, Mukuro decided, when he found nothing at all related to ghosts and the like. It struck him as weird as he continued to stalk down the bookshelves of the library with Chrome tailing behind him wordlessly that not one single book so far had any information at all. He let out a vexed sigh and paused for a moment.

Chrome walked to his side and raised her eyebrows. "Mukuro-sama, what exactly are you looking for?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Though their reunion had taken place only a few minutes prior to now, Mukuro did not explain much of his situation to her. All she knew was that he was looking for a book. What book, she didn't know. Why he was looking for a book, she does not know either. "Shouldn't we be looking for a way out of here?" Usually, she wouldn't question his motives but they were technically in a life or death situation (in his case, at least, because she was already amongst the living dead).

Mukuro lifted his head to give Chrome a brief look. "Oh, yes, I forgot," he said mostly to himself and finally looked up to talk to his friend properly. "Well, you see, my dear sweet Chrome, what we are up against is a ghost by the name Daemon Spade. Apparently, he wants to take over my body to either seek revenge or destroy the world" he told her bluntly. She was quick to accept things, which was why he liked her so much. "I was hoping to find a book that could tell me more about ghosts but I'm afraid I have yet to find such a book."

The mummy nodded her head in understanding. "M-maybe there's a hidden library or something?" she suggested hopefully, looking around the big room in search of said hidden library.

"You mean to say, like a forbidden library?" Mukuro asked in return and joined her in her search of the fictional library. He pulled at different books and items that seemed out of place, hoping to activate a hidden switch. "Maybe you can look behind the book shelves," he told her. "Do be a dear and try?"

Chrome nodded again and stuck her head in as many walls she could. When she passed her head through a fourth bookshelf pushed against the wall, she called for the tamer to join her. "Mukuro-sama, there is a hidden room behind this shelf!" she told him, pointing to the dusty bookshelf that stood before her.

Mukuro scoffed at the irony. How many times has he been forced to bear with the so called powers of God? The bookshelf was lined with books about creation, books about the different religious figures and several copies of the Bible in different languages. He pulled at all of them, annoyed when nothing happened. Finally, he caught sight of a misplaced candelabra and, trying his luck, pulled the rusting decorative piece of metal away from it's resting place. He was satisfied when he heard a loud 'clunk' from behind the walls and watched as the old bookshelf shifted from its original position.

Chrome watched in awe. Her theoretical secret library existed. Together, the two of them walked in. She looked at the ominous looking books lining the walls of the dark room and shuddered.

Mukuro found some old matches and used them to light the candles on the candelabra that he took. He raised it up and read the spines of the books, pulling at a few of them and placing them on the lone table that sat in the middle of the room. When he deemed the stack of books high enough, he placed his light source down on the table and began reading.

Chrome did her share of reading, shivering each time when she read about death, reincarnation and the six paths to hell. She didn't like the creepy looking pentagrams and the odd rune-like symbols beside them. She hoped that the dark stain on the corner of the book she was reading wasn't blood.

"Any luck?" Mukuro asked, briefly looking up from his book. When the girl replied with a 'no,' he beckoned her over. He pointed at the tiny script written in the book and read out loud "exorcism is the process of ridding a place or possessed body of demons and or spiritual entities. It is a practice performed by an exorcist either with a contract with the demon or by expelling the unwanted entity by force." He paused and looked at Chrome. "We definitely don't want to form a contract with that man," he said. "I wonder if the Cavallone priest is an exorcist."

"Um, Mukuro-sama, who is this Cavallone person?" Chrome asked, still hovering beside the tamer and reading over his shoulder. "I-is he the person that marshmallow man was going to visit?" she asked, twiddling her thumbs behind her.

"Marshmallow man?" Mukuro asked with a bemused grin. "You mean Byakuran?"

Chrome blushed and nodded. "H-he was so white," she explained. "H-he reminded me of a marshmallow."

Mukuro stifled a laugh. "Yes. Byakuran is going to him to see if he can be of any help," he said. At the confused look on the girl's face, he elaborated "Dino Cavallone is a priest and he may, hopefully, be an exorcist as well."

The flames of the candles flickered at an unexplained wind and the two stiffened. The air in the room changed and Chrome edged closer to Mukuro in anxiety. She glanced around the room, seeking for any signs of danger that may approach them and gripped at the hem of her pink dress nervously.

Mukuro grit his teeth and gripped his trident in a tight hold. He raised a protective arm in front of Chrome and called out "who's there?"

There was a few second of silence before the only entrance to the room suddenly closed and the flames flickered yet again. Mukuro told himself to stay calm and he tried his best to do so even when the room seemed to be smaller that it was before. He hoped that it was his imagination playing tricks on him.

"Nufufufu~ Mukuro-kun, we meet again," a voice replied. It echoed in the room and Chrome yelped in surprise. "Oh, and it seems that we have another guest." Before Mukuro could react, Daemon already had his arms over Chrome in what looked like a friendly hug. "Welcome to the castle, dear," he whispered into her ear.

Mukuro frowned. Though Chrome was being quiet and calm despite her predicament, he could see the fear in her single eye. "You unsightly man," the tamer seethed, "let her go."

Daemon's grip did not loosen. "Perhaps you are willing to make a deal with me?"

Chrome struggled in Daemon's grip, kicking her legs in an attempt to free herself from her captor. "Mukuro-sama, don't let him-"

"Hush, child, let the adults speak," Daemon said, covering the girl's mouth with the palm of his hand to silence her. He turned his attention back to Mukuro and grinned. "What do you say, boy?"

"What happened to Hibarin?" Mukuro asked, avoiding the topic. He knew for a fact that Hibarin was strong (despite the fact that he has yet to see the vampire at his full strength) and the thought of him being defeated was an idea that almost seemed intangible to him. Was the vampire, he hated to think it, gone? Mukuro shook his head a little to reassure himself. Of course not, he thought. Hibarin would never let himself loose to such a despicable man. He hated the lingering feeling of worry that made his heart beat a little faster.

Daemon grinned. "That is for me to know and you to find out."

* * *

><p>Tsuna looked at Byakuran in utter shock. "C-C-CHROME-CHAN," he shook his head and corrected himself, approaching the girl's body. "B-Byakuran-san! Stop playing with her skirt!" he instructed, pulling down on the pink dress that Byakuran was playing with.<p>

Byakuran pouted as they entered the village. "But I've never worn a dress before," he informed them, noting with a sly grin that Ken was blushing madly. "Do you have any idea how breezy it feels?" he asked, pulling at the dress' material and flapped it around. Much to the dismay of the boys (and to Byakuran's amusement), the ghost in the girl's body was revealing a lot that should not be revealed. He wasn't a pervert, mind you. He just liked making other's uncomfortable.

Ken growled and nearly attacked Byakuran if it weren't for the strong grip Kakipi had on his arm. "PERVERTED GHOST!" he yelled angrily, flailing his arms to emphasize his anger at the discomfort he was feeling. "You haven't even told us where we're going yet, pyon!" he complained.

Tsuna begged for Ken to be quiet and when the other boy did, he turned to Byakuran whom was still toying with the dress. He tried to ignore that and said "Byakuran-san, where are we going?" He scratched the back of his head nervously and added, "shouldn't we be helping Mukuro-san?"

The ghost placed a singe finger over Tsuna's lips to silence him. He couldn't help but giggle when the brunet blushed. "All in due time, Tsu-kun!" he spun on his heel and pointed at the church located just a few meters away from the town square. "We need the help of Dino-kun, you see," he explained and began walking towards the church.

The four approached the church, old but still strong despite the years, and Tsuna tentatively knocked on the doors. It was a quiet knock but he hoped it was heard. "Hello?" he called. "We need help?"

Kakipi knocked a little bit louder before Ken could break down the door. They waited in silence.

Ken was about to take a try at knocking himself but he was interrupted by Chrome—no, Byakuran, walking right into the door. He fell and landed with a light thud, gingerly rubbing at his forehead where it met the door. He laughed lightly and grinned at the three boys. "I forgot I wasn't a ghost anymore," he explained.

Finally, they heard movement behind the doors and quickly helped Byakuran back to his feet. When the doors opened, they were greeted by a very friendly face. "Good evening!" the blond greeted, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "What brings you people here at the middle of the night?" He opened the doors wider, stepping aside to let the others in.

Byakuran smiled happily at him. "Dino-kun! It's me! Byakuran!" he greeted cheerfully.

Dino tilted his head in confusion. "Byakuran?" he asked. He closed the doors behind him and stared at the group. "Byakuran, what are you doing in that poor girl's body?" he exclaimed, putting his hands on the ghost's shoulders to inspect the girl's body for any signs of abuse. "You didn't posses her by force, did you?"

"I would never!" Byakuran retaliated. "I'm hurt that you would think tha-"

"Enough with the stupid talking!" Ken intervened. "Why th'hell are we even here, pyon?" he kicked one of the pews in frustration and it clattered to the ground noisily. The dust that had settled on and around it scattered in the air, dust clouds forming at their feet. "We should be back there at the castle to fight that thing, pyon!"

Dino yet again looked at them in confusion. "_That thing_?" he asked, drawing imaginary quotation marks in the air with his finger as he walked to the fallen pew. He bent down to stand it up and he smiled when Tsuna went to the other side to help him. "What _thing_?" he asked, standing back up when everything was back in order, and dusted his clothes.

Tsuna coughed nervously. "W-well you see, Dino-san, we have this friend who is stuck in the castle," he explained, choosing his words carefully. "Well, Byakuran-san tells us that there is another ghost in there preventing anyone from coming out."

"And us from coming in," added Kakipi.

The priest turned to Byakuran whom was observing the stained glass windows. "Who is this friend of yours, mind me asking?" He made his way to Chrome's body and shook him by the shoulder lightly when he noticed Byakuran's slight daze. "Is it Kyouya or is it Mukuro-kun?"

The ghost snapped out of his stupor and looked at the priest. "Both of them," he said with a small frown. "And the girl," he added, remembering Chrome, "also went inside. Though she is free to leave if she likes, I don't think she's going to."

Dino rubbed his chin in thought. "So what you are proposing?" he asked, turning his attention to the short brunet. Though he had a vague idea of what was happening, if they asked for help he would help in any way he could. After all, that was the job of a man of God, right?

"Can you perform exorcisms?" Byakuran asked before Tsuna could reply. "Or I don't know, can your magical amulets and stuff actually help us out or something?" he asked with an innocent look on his face.

Dino frowned slightly but gestured for them to follow him. "It's not _magic_," he emphasized, giving the ghost a stern look. "It's the divine power of the all might Father," he informed them, mostly Byakuran.

"Potato, potahtoe, what's the difference?" Byakuran said with a shrug and a scoff. He was getting a little tired of all this talk of a divine power. He was a man of knowledge, not a man of faith. "Why do you even care, Dino-kun? You don't actually believe in this stuff, do you?"

The priest sighed as he led them into another room. "In this world we live in now, it's hard to believe in anything else," he replied grimly.

An awkward silence filled the room momentarily before Byakuran decided to disrupt it. "That's pretty dark, Dino-kun," the ghost commented and skipped to the blond's side. He smiled at him and pointed at his lips "turn that frown upside down!" he said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

The priest managed a small smile before opening another door that led to a study room. The bookshelf was sparsely filled with books, most of which were Bibles and the like (and a few story books for children, Tsuna noticed). He walked to a desk that sat in the corner of the room, pulling open the second drawer. He pulled out items, little cubes with intricate designs, and placed them on top of the desk. Pulling open the third drawer, he pulled out a little wooden box and placed it next to the cubes.

Tsuna wiped away the dust that had gathered on the small wooden box before Dino opened it to reveal several brightly colored rings and he smiled at the awed faces that looked at them. "These are called the Seven Flames of the Sky rings," he said, pulling out a ring with an orange colored stone. He gave it to Tsuna and smiled. "I think they may come in handy."

Tsuna took the ring and slipped it onto his index finger. It was really pretty, he thought, but he had no idea how a ring could be of use to them. "Uhm, how exactly is this going to help us?"

Byakuran was examining the rings before realization hit him. "Vongola rings?" he asked, bewildered. "Dino-kun, why in the world do you have these? I thought they were lost!"

The priest was in the process of handing Ken a ring with a yellow stone before looking up at the ghost. "Oh, they were sort of a family heirloom," he explained. "I just couldn't bring myself to throw them away. I mean, I really don't like the mafia and all but these rings were precious to my father and the previous generations of the Cavallone and," he paused and mulled over his thoughts. "And I guess if I threw them away, I'd be throwing away a little of myself as well."

Byakuran pulled out a ring with an orange stone and slipped it onto his finger. "This is a Mare ring," he mused. "Actually, I do believe this was mine!" he exclaimed happily and stared at the ring. "I wonder how it got here," he mused.

Dino shrugged and handed Kakipi a ring with a sapphire colored stone. "The Cavallone family has been in far too many mafia wars for me to remember. Some of the rings were picked off of those who were dead," he said with a grimace and he shuddered.

Tsuna stared in horror at the ring on his finger. "TH-TH-THIS WAS ON A DEAD PERSON'S FINGER?" he questioned, face turning pale. That was both disturbing and gross and he really wished that he didn't know that.

"Tut-tut, Tsu-kun," Byakuran chided. He picked up one of the orange cubes that sat on the table and studied it for a while before smiling. "So now I'll be teaching you boys how to use these," he said, the ring on his finger suddenly glowing and bursting into orange flames that didn't seem to burn him.

* * *

><p>Hibarin sat up from where he was and frowned. Where was he, he didn't know. He could barely remember what happened with his fight with Daemon Spade. He rubbed his arm, finding a small bruise there, and stood up to look around. It was darkness again but at least this time, he was able to see.<p>

It was as if he were on a platform, invisible to his eyes, which was floating in mid air. He wouldn't be surprised if it was. All around him he saw cards, thousands and thousands of card surrounding him in what looked like a protective dome.

Then he remembered. The fight was getting a little bit out of hand, but he didn't mind that. The last time he had a decent fight was probably a few decades or so and the thrill of the fight was exhilarating, up until the point Daemon opened a portal behind him that sent him to where he was now. He still despised the smile and laugh that the ghost gave him as a parting gift.

Though, now that he thought about it, how was the fight going to end? Considering he and Daemon are already, well, _dead_, who would have won?

He liked to believe, and strongly does believe, that he would have won. He was not going to lose to anybody, especially not somebody who was threatening someone precious to him.

He walked to the edge of the platform, half expecting to fall for eternity, and found that the cards were something akin to the talisman that Buddhist use. He touched the invisible force field that prevented him from leaving before drawing his hand back and punching it.

It hurt and did little to no damage at all. Nonetheless, he continued hitting the invisible force, this time with his tonfas, determined to finish his fight with Daemon.

* * *

><p><strong>An: Please tell me if the chapters are too long O:**


	13. Chapter 13

"So these cube thingees are called box weapons?" Tsuna asked, examining the orange box that was given to him in slight awe. "How exactly do these work?" he asked, rolling it in the palm of his hands.

"That is correct, Tsu-kun," Byakuran said with a smile. "These weapons were used in the mafia wars, developed by scientists," he explained. "And these rings," he said, pointing at the burning ring on his finger, "are no ordinary rings."

Ken stared in awe. "That much was obvious, pyon," he commented a little sarcastically but his eyes glistened with fascination. "How can these stupid rings and boxes do anything? Do we throw them at people or something, pyon?" he asked, tossing his yellow box up and down.

Byakuran giggled. "Silly puppy, of course not!" he ruffled Ken's hair affectionately before making the flames on the ring bigger. He grinned and inserted the orange stone in a small indent on one side of the box, the flames seemingly entering it. There was a flash of light and the boys covered their eyes.

"Kyuuu!" exclaimed a little white dragon that appeared after the light had faded away. It flapped its tiny wings and made its way to Byakuran's shoulder and made itself confortable there. It nuzzled its master's head affectionately and the ghost replied with a pet to its head. "This is my box animal," he said with a smile. "Cute, isn't he?"

Dino approached the white dragon and tentatively petted it's head. It seemed friendly, he thought, and he let out a little smile at the way it was being so affectionate. "He is a cute little guy, isn't he?" he mused.

"What about you, Dino-kun?" the ghost asked, picking up another orange ring from the table. He handed it to the priest along with a box and stared. "Do you know how to use these? After all, that is a Cavallone ring in your hands."

Dino nodded. "Of course I do. . ." he replied, turning the small box over in his hand. "But I never. . . I don't want to use it to fight." He put the box back down on the table and pulled open another drawer. "Besides, aren't I supposed to perform an exorcism or something?" he reminded, pulling out the items used for a usual exorcism process. "I don't have to fight, right?"

Tsuna, feeling guilty that he was getting Dino into a fight that he wasn't involved in, nodded in agreement. "Dino-san doesn't have to fight, right, Byakuran?" he asked, looking at Chrome's body with a pleading look. "I-I don't want him to force him to do something he doesn't want to," he said, twiddling his thumbs in front of him. Dino was a nice person and he'd feel absolutely horrible if anything happened to him.

"Well, yeah, he doesn't," Byakuran replied. "It was just an inquiry," he added over his shoulder and made his way to Kakipi and Ken. He smiled at them and said "So I want you two to summon the flames of the rings." He grabbed the ring that ken was playing with and shoved in on the dirty blond's finger. He held his hand and, with the sweetest and Chrome-like voice he could muster, told him "just think about what is most important to you; something that you want to protect."

Ken blushed and pulled his hand away from the ghost's. "Shut up, you stupid ghost," he muttered. "I know what to do, pyon!" he said and clenched his fist. He knew what was important to him: of course it was Mukuro-sama! He had to save his friend! With that in mind, the yellow stone on his hand burst to life, golden flames almost engulfing his whole fist. "Whoa," he stated, awe struck. "This is awesome, pyon."

"You try it too, Megane-kun," Byakuran encouraged, giving Kakipi a smile. "I mean, if the puppy can do it, I'm sure you can too!"

"Hey, what do you mean by that, pyon!"

Kakipi nodded languidly and thought about what was most important to him as well. Of course he and Ken had the same goals. Though he hated to admit it out loud, he really did care for Ken and Chrome and Mukuro; they were the closest thing to a family that he's got and all those precious moments that he shared with them was something he wanted to protect. He wanted to protect his friends. The sapphire stone on the ring bust to life as well, a brilliant blue flame practically dancing in his hands. He stared, amazed.

Tsuna stared at the two in admiration. They were quick to grasp the concept of the rings while he was still a bit hesitant to even try. He looked at the ring on his finger, wondering if he should even bother to try. _It's no use, _he thought to himself. _I'm just useless Tsuna. I'm sure they will do fine without me,_ he reassured himself but when he looked up to see Dino's kind, smiling face, he realized that he did have something to protect. Something that he'd willingly surrender his life for: the smiles of his friends.

The ring blazed to life, brilliant orange hues illuminating the dim room and outshining the other flames. Tsuna stared, amazed. The warmth that he felt from the ring was so placid and comforting and it gave him a sense of equilibrium. "This is. . . "

"The power of the Vongola rings!" Byakuran finished for him and clapped his hands. "Very good! You boys know how to use them!" He picked the box with several other rings up and nodded at the boys. "I can teach you about the box weapons on the way back to the castle because I'd really rather that we be there now before it's too late." He turned his attention to the blond priest "you're coming, yes? To perform the exorcism at least?"

Kakipi picked up all the box weapons on the table, not sure which one would be his (he assumed it was one of the blue ones since the ring he wore was blue too).

Dino nodded in reply. "Y-yes! Only to exorcise the ghost!" he said, running towards a closet to retrieve his materials. He tripped on his own shoes and clambered back up, quickly pulling out what he needed. He fumbled with a few things, breaking a few glass candleholders in the process, but was finally ready. He grinned at the group. "Hehe, I'm a bit clumsy sometimes," he told them.

Byakuran and Ken laughed, amused.

Dino pouted but followed them anyway. "Do you know who it is, by the way?" he asked as they hiked up the steep hill. "The ghost in the castle, I mean."

"Daemon Spade," Byakuran replied. "A nasty, nasty man!"

Dino nodded in understanding and hummed in thought. "Do you have any idea why he might be here?" he asked, adjusting the straps of his rucksack.

Byakuran sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't know, Dino-kun," the ghost replied. "I mean, I used to know him when we were still alive but he's always been a mysterious person. . . Even more so than me."

There were so many things running through Mukuro's mind, namely the whereabouts of his vampire friend, the safety of the girl he considered a little sister and if a certain white haired ghost had found a solution to their problems. He grit his teeth, anger barely contained, and glared at the ghost. "What are you proposing then?" he asked, gripping his trident tightly in his hand. He hoped that he could at least buy some time until anyone came to help him.

Daemon smiled widely at him, eyes sparkling in delight. "Ho? You're actually willing to listen?" he mused, stroking away some of Chrome's hair away from her face. "And here I was thinking that you'd provide me with a challenge," he said in faux disappointment.

Mukuro grinned wryly at him. "Oh? Then do you wish to fight me then?" he asked, picking up a book from the table as if he found it more interesting that the ghost. "It's been quite a while since I've had a decent fight," he told the ghost. He honestly didn't know if he could win against the ghost if no one came to help him he began to wonder what would happen if he died or something. It was not a pretty idea to think about.

Chrome fidgeted in Daemon's grasp but tried her best to stay calm. For one, she wasn't very comfortable with the ghost's extremely close proximity (even around Ken and Chikusa, she felt uncomfortable when they got too close) and she really didn't like the way the way playing with her hair. She chanced a glance at Mukuro, whom was apparently reading a book and hoped with all her heart that he had some sort of elaborate plan in mind.

"So what do you say, Daemon Spade?" Mukuro finally asked, shutting the book with a snap. He swung his arm forward, the tip of his trident merely a few millimeters away from the ghost's face. "Is it a fight or what?"

"Nufufufu, how amusing," Daemon chuckled, disappearing in a cloud of mist. "Are you challenging me, boy?" he asked, watching with amused eyes as Chrome made her way to Mukuro, asking if he was alright. Even the girl was an interesting one, he decided. She'd make a perfect pawn in his plan. He summoned his scythe and with a grin, he positioned the blade against the tamer's neck, pulling the boy closer to his body. "I accept your challenge."

Mukuro stiffened when he felt and arm around his waist. He knew for a fact that ghosts couldn't exactly hurt the living (seeing as they can barely even touch them) but it puzzled him that the grip around him felt so solid. Even with the query in his mind, he shoved his elbow back, hoping to hit the ghost in the gut. He grabbed the staff of the scythe and pushed it away, using the momentum of his movements to swing his trident at the ghost.

Daemon took a few steps back, avoiding the hit aimed at his gut but had no time to dodge the cool steel that collided with his ribcage. He stumbled slightly to the side but immediately regained his fighting posture with a grin. "Oh?" he said, with raised eyebrows. "A holy weapon?"

The tamer grinned in reply. "Apparently so," he laughed mirthfully, taking a few graceful steps back. "Care to test its durability?" he asked before dashing towards the ghost, trident at the ready to attack his enemy.

Daemon lurched forward, a grin plastered on his face as he swung his blade down. Their weapons clashed, sparks literally flying as metal collided with metal. "Come now, Mukuro," Daemon taunted as they fought. "Will you not you join me and rid this world of the people who destroy it?" he asked even as Mukuro sent glares at him. "I know that you hate the scum of this world as much as I do."

"Don't put my in the same category as yourself, Spade," Mukuro spat in reply. "The only scum here is you!" He sent a brief glance at Chrome before once again attacking the ghost.

Chrome understood that Mukuro wanted her to leave while he was making a distraction. She nodded her head once, very quickly, before leaving the room to contact Gokudera and Yamamoto whom were waiting outside.

As she dashed across the halls to the foyer, she heard the faint sound of banging from somewhere she couldn't quite point out. She wondered if her friends were outside, attempting to get the doors open again, and called out "Is anyone there?"

There was no reply, only the sound of the constant banging. She closed her eyes and tried again. "Who is there?" she asked louder.

The banging stopped and she wondered if someone actually heard her but there was no voice that called out to her. She thought hard, trying to figure out what in the world had caused the banging. _"Where is that coming from?"_

_"Who are you?"_ a cold voice replied in her head.

A little shocked, the ghost girl almost stumbled. _"Uhm, I'm Chrome Dokuro,_" she introduced to the voice in her head. _"Who are you?"_

"_. . . Chrome?"_ the voice asked. _"You mean 'cute Chrome?'"_

Chrome raised her eyebrows in slight confusion and shock with a tint of pink on her face. _"U-uhm, ano, do I know you?_

"_You are the friend of Mukuro?"_

She nodded. _"Yes?"_

There was a few seconds of silence before the voice spoke again. _"This is my castle."_

Chrome gasped in understanding. _"Y-you are Hibarin-san?"_

_". . . Yes," _the vampire replied. He was actually a little bit disturbed when he began hearing voices in his head at first but he didn't particularly care at the moment. His priority right now was getting the hell out of the prison that Daemon created so he could beat up said ghost to an unrecognizable red stain on the floor.

_"Where are you?_" Chrome asked, looking around her surroundings to see where he was hiding.

Hibarin hated to admit it but he needed help out of wherever he was. _"Break down the illusions surrounding me,"_ he instructed. He knew for a fact that whatever it was that was keeping his trapped, it was because of a very powerful illusion; and though he did know a thing or two about illusions, he never liked them. _"You are capable of breaking it down,"_ he told her.

"_H-how do I do that?"_ she stuttered in reply.

"_. . . Use your head."_

"Jyuudaime!" Gokudera exclaimed happily as the monster tamer jogged up to them. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking Tsuna up and down before deeming him alright and smiling brightly again.

Byakuran looked once at the ware-cat before digging through the box to pull out a red ring. "Here, kitty-boy!" he said, handing him the ring. "You'll need this!" he said with a smile before handing Yamamoto, Lambo and Ryohei a blue ring, a green ring and a yellow ring respectively.

Gokudera raised a questioning eyebrow at the ghost. "What the hell'er these for, ghost?" he asked, squinting at the red stone on the ring before he had an epiphany. "Oh my God," he gasped, eyes sparkling. "This is the storm vongola ring!" he exclaimed. "Jyuudaime! I can't believe you got your hands on these!"

Tsuna waved his hands in front of him frantically. "N-no, i-it was D-dino-san," he stuttered with a sheepish smile. Sometimes Gokudera's enthusiasm didn't make sense to him.

Kakipi handed them the boxes that went with their rings (again, he decided that the rings and the boxes were color coordinated). "Teach them," he instructed Byakuran. "You have yet to teach us how to use the boxes as well."

"Ah, right!" Byakuran agreed. "Oh, by the way guys, this is Dino-kun!" he introduced with a smile. He turned to Dino and said "now while I'm giving the kiddies a lesson, be a dear and try to get the doors opened, alright?"

Dino nodded and quickly got to work.

"Ahahaha! Is this like, a new toy?" Yamamoto asked, looking at the box in mild interest. "Look! Ours are the same color!" he told Kakipi whom remained silent at the comment.

"This box is extremely yellow!" Ryohei exclaimed.

"Hush now, boys!" Byakuran said with a finger pressed against his lips. "Listen to me and you'll see how these 'toys' work! You see, the puppy, Megane-kun and Tsu-kun already know how to use the rings," he told the other four boys.

"Boss is so amazing!" Gokudera exclaimed happily, staring at Tsuna in admiration. He slipped the storm ring onto his finger and it almost immediately lit up. The ware-cat didn't even notice as the flames danced around his fist. "I'll do my best to protect the tenth!"

Byakuran chuckled. "Well, he's a bright one, isn't he?" he asked Tsuna with an amused smile before turning to Yamamoto and Ryohei. "Why don't you two give it a try? Maybe you're naturals as well."

Yamamoto slipped the ring on but no flames burst into life. "Aww, man!" he said a little dejectedly but a smile still on his face. "I wanted to make a pretty fire too!"

Ryohei's ring, on the other hand, was already shooting out brilliant golden flames. He stared at it in amazement. "This fire is extremely cool!"

Lambo didn't know what to do and just kept the ring in his curly locks, "Lambo-sama doesn't need a ring! Rings are for girly-girls!" he laughed.

Tsuna looked at Byakuran. "How come. . . ?"

"Well, Tsu-kun, we can see that Mr. Kitty here is really loyal to you," he said, looking with amused eyes at Gokudera whom was now arguing with Lambo. "So he doesn't even need to think about what is most important to him because it seems that he is always thinking about you."

"O-oh. . . " Tsuna said, slightly blushing. He was thankful that there was someone who cared so much about him, even if it was a crazy guy with a violent attitude. "Then how about Yamamoto and Ryohei-onisan?"

"That's not important right now!" Byakuran exclaimed, turning his head towards Dino's direction to stare at the priest whom now had the doors opened. "Dino-kun! That was quick!"

Dino smiled and shrugged. "Quick but very exhausting," he replied, wiping off the sweat off his forehead. "It took the strongest chants to get it to budge! But whatever it was that caused the door to be locked in the first place is getting weaker for some reason."

Ken was first to dash inside. "Mukuro-sama! Stupid girl?" He was out of sight so quickly that Kakipi followed suit.

"Dino-kun, will you still be joining us or shall you go back to the village?" Bykuran asked, gesturing for everyone to get inside. "Because we are very thankful for the help but I think that it would be much better if we had someone with us besides me who knows how to use the box weapons."

Tsuna stared at Dino for a while. "D-dino-san, you don't have to! You've already been very helpful!" He didn't want Dino to get involved in their affairs.

"No, I'll come," he said with a smile. "It's no biggie! I can help!"

"But Dino-san!"

The priest stopped and gave Tsuna a reassuring smile. "Kyouya is a friend of mine, Tsuna, and I have to help him," he told the brunet, giving him a pat on the back as they walked into the castle. "You're a friend as well and I want to help you too!"

"This moment is very touching and all but we're running short of time!" he told them before beginning to run towards the sound of a commotion. "I don't know what exactly is going on right now but we must not waste any more time!"

The group nodded and followed after the ghost, still unsure of how they were going to defeat Daemon Spade.

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**Sorry for the update delay. I have one test left! yay 3**

**Aside from tests distracting me, my brain came up with another 6918 idea and I'm in the process of writing it already (even though I still have to finish this).**

**I'll post that other story when this one is done XD**


	14. Chapter 14

Chrome was surprised, to say the least. Who wouldn't be if out of nowhere, a vampire appeared from something that looked like a hole in space and landed right in front of her. "Eep!" she gasped, stumbling backwards as the vampire rubbed his head.

"You," Hibarin muttered, grabbing the girl by the collar of her shirt, only to have his hands fall forward as he grasped at air. "You are a ghost."

Chrome nodded a little bit then shook her head. "Uh, n-not exactly," she mumbled. "B-but that isn't important right now! M-mukuro-sama is fighting Daemon!" She told Hibarin as the two of them stood up. "I-in the library!"

Hibarin nodded and made his way to the library, ready to kill. "Get out of the castle," he instructed Chrome with a glare. "I don't need a herbivore like you getting in my way." With that, he disappeared down the hallway, the darkness engulfing his figure.

"But. . . " Chrome shook her head and continued running down the hall, to the entrance of the castle. Her friends, hopefully, would be there and she could tell them of what was happening inside but the sound of footsteps coming towards her direction made here freeze in her spot.

Ken ran through Chrome, not realizing she was there until she let out a startled gasp. "Stupid girl!" He exclaimed a happily and a little relieved. "What the hell is happening? Where is Mukuro-san!"

"In the library!" Chrome replied and watched as Ken ran towards where she was pointing. She wanted to warn him of the fact that Daemon Spade was there but she knew that he wouldn't listen to her anyway. Kakipi, whom she had only noticed now, nodded his head once at her before following Ken down the hall.

"Silly boys," Byakuran laughed, walking calmly towards Chrome. "Very noisy too." He smiled at the girl in a friendly manner and showed her an indigo ring and box. "Chrome-chan, these are yours now," he informed her. "But we have to switch again so you can use them."

He raised his hands and she put hers over them and closed her eye. "Wh-what do I do?" She asked.

Byakuran chuckled and smiled. "Think about coming back home," he instructed. "Think about coming back to where you belong; with all your friends, happy and safe and together" he said slowly, in an almost hypnotizing way before closing his eyes as well.

And she did just that. She wanted to go back home and live with Mukuro-sama, boss, Gokudera. . . and everyone. And even if Ken and Gokudera fight almost every moment they can, she just wanted everyone to be happy and live like a family. She started to feel heavy and slowly, she felt a little less cold and a little bit more alive. She opened her eye.

"Back home," Byakuran said with a friendly smile. He tapped lightly at Chrome's hands, reminding her of the ring and the box. "Put the ring on, Chrome-chan," he instructed and watched as Chrome did as she was told. He was sure that she would grasp the concept easily; she was a fast learner.

The ring burst into a beautiful indigo flame and she stared at it in awe. It was beautiful, she thought and she stared at Byakuran. "This will help me?" she asked.

The ghost nodded. "Insert the flames into the box."

She nodded again, she knew now that the ghost was someone she could trust, and did as she was told. There was a bright flash of light and when the room grew dark again, there was an owl fluttering its wings right in front of her. The owl moved and landed on her shoulder with a small 'hoot.' She gave the ghost a confused look.

"There isn't much time to explain right now," he said, pushing her slightly forward. "I'm sure that Muku-chan would like help, yes? You'll know how to use the power," he told her. He placed a violet ring and box in her hands and smiled again "I have confidence in you."

She nodded, not entirely sure why she was given another box before running back the direction she came. Mukuro-sama saved her from so many things before and she was determined to return the favor. The white owl flew off her shoulder and followed its new master into the depths of the castle.

"Was that Chrome just now?" Gokudera exclaimed, watching as she disappeared into the dark. "Idiot ghost! Why did you let her go back!"

"Why not? She's perfectly capable of talking care of herself!" He replied. "Trust her!"

Mukuro honestly didn't like the position he was in, not in the very least. With his back against the wall and his trident much too far from his grasp, all he could do was glare at the ghost whom had pinned him against the wall.

"Trapped like a rat," Daemon taunted with an amused grin. "Do you have any last words before I rip your soul out of your body, hmm? It would have been so much easier of you just worked with me, you know, but you're such a stubborn boy."

"I could care less what you think about me but I would never let someone like you take over!" he spat back at the ghost with a snarl. "I'd rather die!"

Daemon smirked, placing one hand over Mukuro's face. "Then I shall grant your wish!" he laughed, his fingers digging into Mukuro's face almost as if he were trying to claw his face off.

Mukuro struggled against Daemon's grip, _I didn't think he'd literally rip my soul out_, he thought to himself as he felt a burning sensation at his face. Letting out a strangled cry, he tried his best to pull the ghost's hand away from him but the longer he struggled, the weaker he felt and his actions became feeble.

Just when he thought he was going to loose consciousness, Daemon was pulled away from him and he fell in a heap on the floor. Pushing himself up and gasping for air, he looked up to see what had happened. "K-kyouya?" he gasped, standing up with much effort in a dignified manner. He didn't want to look pathetic in front of the vampire. "Are you really here or did I die and go to heaven?" he asked a little breathlessly with a lopsided grin.

Hibarin punched his stomach lightly and blushed a little. "More like hell," he replied, slightly annoyed. He moved a little forward and stood in front of Mukuro with his tonfa's raised, ready for any attack that would come. "Stop being useless and lets kill that herbivore right now," he offered with a predatory grin directed at the monster tamer.

Mukuro walked over to his trident languidly and picked it up, wiping away some of his blood that was spilled from a particularly deep cut on his arm that Daemon had dealt. He licked the blood away and smiled devilishly at the vampire before connecting their lips in a brief kiss. "I missed you."

Hibarin brushed him off. "Shut up," he replied indignantly. "The battle is not over," he said, nodding his head towards Daemon general direction. He had hit the ghost rather strongly, at least judging by the indent on the stone wall that the force of his blow had caused, and he was impressed that Daemon seemed to be undamaged.

Impressed and very annoyed.

Daemon brushed the debris away from his coat and laughed mirthfully. "Oh, how cute," he cooed. "But I'm afraid that we're going to have to cut this reunion short. Mukuro and I still have to settle some business, isn't that right?" he asked the tamer with a jaded grin.

"Quite," Mukuro replied.

Ken looked around the labyrinth and growled in frustration. Though his sense of smell was great, he couldn't quite pinpoint the location of his friend. "I just don't gettit, byon!" he sighed, sniffing the air for a clue. "Somethin's wrong with this whako castle!"

Kakipi, finally catching up with his friend, surveyed the halls with a suspicious glance. "Yes," he agreed quietly. "Something doesn't feel right."

"It feels like we've been going around in fucking circles, byon!" Ken whined, more than slightly annoyed and kicked the wall in aggravation, leaving a hole in its wake.

"That's because you have been," Chrome piped up quietly, smiling a tiny bit when Ken jumped up in shock. "You're stuck inside an illusion," she informed them, looking both ways cautiously before walking forward.

The owl fluttered in front of her, something dangling from its beak. When Chrome raised her palm, it dropped the small item into her hand and rested again on her shoulder.

"Where the fuck did that bird come from, byon?" Ken asked, poking the owl gently with the tip of his finger.

Chrome ignored him for a while and took a moment to inspect the item; it was a small magnifying glass. She didn't exactly know why the owl gave it to her (she also wondered where it got the magnifying glass) but she raised it up to look through it. Her eye widened slightly when she saw that the whole hallway was tinted indigo, save for one door to her right. "This way," she said, opening the door before walking through.

The two boys glanced at each other before following her. "How do you know where to go?" Kakipi asked, giving her a critical look as she turned into another hallway. "How do you know that this is an illusion?"

Chrome shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Just a f-feeling," she mumbled, clutching the indigo and violet boxes tightly in her hands. Thought she was wearing the violet ring, it didn't light up with a fire. She was assuming that Byakuran wanted her to give it to someone and she already had in mind to whom it might belong to.

"You better be right, stupid girl!" Ken chided but nonetheless followed Chrome as she led them through the seemingly endless hallways.

Finally, the trio found themselves in the library, bookshelves upturned and books laying everywhere around the room. "Mukuro-sama?" Ken shouted into the room. "Are you here, byon!"

Mukuro crashed through a bookshelf and skidded across the floor, stopping in front of his friends. He looked up at them and grinned. "Hello," he greeted casually before standing up. "I didn't expect you to be here!"

"Mukuro-sama, are you hurt?" Chrome asked with a concerned tone as she looked for wound on his body. Thankfully, she only found a few scratches and bruises. The cut on his arm, however, was looking a lot of blood. Tearing off the sleeve of her dress, she tied it around his arm.

Mukuro smiled and let out a small sigh before patting the top of her head. "I'm fine, cute Chrome," he told her. "But we're still in the middle of fighting Daemon."

She handed him the violet box and ring. "Th-this belongs to Hibarin-san," she stuttered, looking away before retreating backwards in embarrassment. The smile that Mukuro sent her made her blush several shades of red.

"Where is th' jerk who did this to you, byon? I'll kill him!" Ken roared, head snapping back and forth in search for the enemy. "I'm going to rip him to shreds!"

"Now Ken, do be a little more quiet," he berated, tapping the head of his trident lightly atop the ware-dog's blond head. "You're being much to noisy, you know."

Ken rubbed the top of his head but nodded anyway. He let out a little huff "sorry byon," he apologized.

Just as Mukuro turned, Hibarin came flying towards him and the two stumbled backwards in a tangle of limbs. The vampire pushed Mukuro off him and stood back up. "Stop talking and start fighting," he scolded, looking around the room for Daemon.

"Where is he?" Kakipi asked as well, also looking around the room. It was too quiet and too. . . suspicious. There was something wrong.

"Nufufufu~ well would you look at that? More toys for me to play with," Chrome's voice said, the haunting laugh echoing in the room. Her eye, which was usually a beautiful amethyst color, glowed and eerie aqua color.

Kakipi turned abruptly only to be sent hurling backwards, crashing into Ken. That was what felt wrong. "He possessed Chrome," he muttered, fixing his glasses that had gone askew.

Hibarin gripped his tonfa's tighter and dashed forward to attack Daemon.

.. . . but he didn't expect Mukuro to block him, tonfa and trident clashing together. He stared in shock at the monster tamer and growled. "Move," he snarled, pushing forward.

Mukuro pushed back, an upset look plastered on his face. "Don't hurt her," he whispered. "I wont let you hurt her."

* * *

><p><strong>An:**

**sorry for grammatical errors :(**


	15. Chapter 15

Mukuro knew well enough that Daemon was probably enjoying the troublesome situation he was in and growled lightly under his breath. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now, and his mind was working as fast as it could for any type of idea that would be of use. He gripped his trident tightly, his lips set in a scowl as he thought. There weren't many viable options left for him to choose from.

The vampire felt betrayed, somewhat, at the fact that Mukuro stepped in between him and his prey. Though there was a tiny voice at the back of his head telling him that it was understandable that the Tamer would do something as idiotic as this (which was defending the person who wanted to steal his body). He knew that Mukuro loved Chrome; cared for her as if she were his own flesh and blood. _Love is a weakness_ he thought to himself.

And if that were so, he admitted to himself that even the great Hibarin had a weakness.

"Tamer," he snarled, his affection towards Mukuro disregarded for the moment. "Step aside."

Daemon laughed from behind Mukuro, Chrome's delicate body shuddering as he did so. Her usually placid voice sounding so venomous and scheming as the ghost used it "well what do you say, Mukuro-kun?" he cooed, eyelid fluttering in amusement. "The deal I spoke of earlier is still available, though I can add more."

Mukuro's eyes hardened. "What are you proposing this time?"

"Mukuro-sama, you can't, byon!" Ken shouted, running towards his friend but was held back by Kaki-pi. "YOU STUPID GLASSES BASTARD!" he roared, flailing in his best friends grip. "LET ME GO, BYON! LET ME GO, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! SHE WOULDN'T WANT THIS! SHE WOULD NEVER WANT THIS TO HAPPEN, BYON!"

"Ken, stay out of this," Mukuro said with a calm tone to his voice. "It's not up to you to decide."

"This is pointless banter," Hibarin growled. "The noisy dog is right. Now _move_," he urged, his stance switching from protective to lethal. He was going to bite Daemon to death, one way or another, though he still didn't have a plan thoroughly thought out yet. His gut instincts, however, was telling him to do something and to do something right now.

Mukuro turned away from Hibarin and faced Chrome, his sweet Chrome, and looked her in the eye. "Lets talk about this in private," he said with a poker face, placing his hand on a small shoulder. "Where I wont be interrupted." A sweet smile spread across the mummy's face and as she snapped her dainty fingers, the two of them were swept away in a gust of wind, disappearing from the room.

Ken shared the same look of shock as Hibarin as they stared at the spot the two had been standing. The grip Hibarin had on his tonfa made his knuckles grow white and he slammed his weapon against the nearest wall. "Fucking idiot," he snarled, utterly enraged. "Fucking weak herbivore!" he swore.

Just as the wall crumbled into pieces, Tsuna and Dino stepped into the room with confused expressions. Dino Immediately made his way to the vampire and placed both his hands on Hibari's shoulders. "Kyouya, are you alright?" he asked in concern. "What happened?"

". . . he ran away," the vampire replied simply, his fangs bared out in in a scowl. How dare Mukuro take the situation into his own hands without discussing things with him first; he thought that they had shared some mutual understanding of some sort. There was a bitter taste in his mouth, even though he realized that his inner musings were childish. He would never admit that to anyone though.

Tsuna's eyes grew wide. "He what?" he looked around the room, looking for three missing people and he gasped. "Where is Mukuro-san? Chrome-chan?" he exclaimed, flailing his arms. "What the heck happened?"

The silence in the room was thick, even as Yamamoto and the others joined the group.

* * *

><p>Mukuro opened his eyes to find himself in a room that was dimly lit with an eerie green glow. Standing up, he looked left and right before trying to remember what had happened before he got here. He didn't even remember how he got here.<p>

"Greetings, boy" called a voice from across the room. There, sitting on an old rotting chair, was the man that caused him to have a migraine just at the sight. "I'm glad that you have agreed to being civil with me, nufufufu~"

Mukuro opened his mouth to retort until his eyes rested upon the figure of his dear friend on the floor. He ran to her, picking her up and cradling her in his arms, and scowled. "Chrome, dear," he whispered gently and slightly panicked. "Chrome?" He turned to the ghost. "What did you do to her?" he demanded.

"Nufufufu, nothing as of yet!" Daemon reassured. "You see, she would have been a perfect vessel if it weren't for the fact that she isn't as strong as I need her to be." Folding his hands over his lap, his eyes locked with Mukuro's dual colored eyes and he grinned. "Which is why I want you."

Mukuro shuddered at the tone of his voice. He placed a gentle kiss atop her forehead and laid her back down on the floor with a promise that everything would be all right, despite the fact that he still didn't know what he was going to do. "What's your bargain?" he snarled. Funny how he's striking yet another deal with a monster and he remembered Hibari fondly. The vampire's probably pissed off at him.

"Join me, Mukuro" the ghost replied gently. "You and me against the world, so to say! Get rid of all the trash that inhabit this filthy planet!" He stood from his spot and approached the boy who was glaring at him. "I'll even let you keep your free will if you join me of your own volition! Keep her safe! Keep those who you value safe as well," he added, wrapping his arm around Mukuro's shoulders. "It will be simple," he cooed gently, poking the boy's cheek as if they were friends. "Just say _yes_."

Mukuro pulled away from his grasp. "Tell me Daemon, what has gotten you so bitter? Why is it that you hate humanity so?" he was buying time and at the same time satisfying his curiosity. What was it that made Daemon tick? What was it that drove Daemon to do what he thought was right? Was he just born a jerk? A monster? "Surely there is a reason. I wouldn't want to blindly join you in your quest for world domination."

Daemon scoffed. "I'm not after world domination, child. Heavens no, not that," he chuckled and snapped his fingers, the eerie green glow of the room turning to bright blue skies and a an empty garden save for the tea table set in the middle. He sat down on one of the chairs and gestured for Mukuro to do the same. He poured himself and the young tamer a cup of tea, as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. Maybe in his twisted mind, it was. "I'm sure you know how horrible this world can be, filled with rotten creatures called humans."

Mukuro stared at Daemon for a moment before sitting down to join him.

"These humans who are presumed to be kind and caring and _equal_. Hah! Lies and slander," he laughed bitterly. "I'm quite certain you know what I'm talking about, Mukuro. I've had a peek at her mind," he said, nodding towards Chrome's direction. "You know what she's been through, the things that the people tried to do to her despite the fact that she was innocent."

The tamer nodded and finally picked up his own cup of tea. He cleared his throat a bit, a small frown on his face. "Yes, I am aware of the things that my darling Chrome has been subjected to. It's plain as day that it is simply unfair…"

"And I happen to know what you've been through as a child," Daemon interrupted. At the surprised look that Mukuro gave him, he chuckled slightly. "I managed to catch a glimpse into the vampire's mind. Dare I ask why he was thinking of you, Mukuro? You two seem to share an… Intimate relationship." He sipped his tea and peered at Mukuro from the lip of his cup.

"It doesn't matter to you what kind of relationship we may or may not have," Mukuro defended, a slight blush gracing his cheeks. He cleared his throat again and sat upright "that said, so what if you know what I've gone through? How is that relevant to anything?"

Daemon put his teacup down. "Don't play coy with me, Mukuro. I know that you must have gone through several years of bitterness after experiencing such horrible treatment from someone you thought you could trust. I'm sure you looked up to you father, just as every boy would, and he betrayed that trust just because of your eyes. No need to lie to me, I will not judge."

"My father was a horrible man," Mukuro spat. "Just because you think you understand me doesn't mean you actually do." He set his cup down, finished with it. "You merely caught a small peek at my past; you have no right to sympathize with what I've been through because you will never understand."

A scowl found it's way on Daemon's face. "I never said I understood you now, did I?" His patience was growing thin. ". . . But I had someone… who may have…"

* * *

><p>"What are your intentions, Sawada?" Byakuran asked, his usually cheery mood gone, a chilling look encompassing his features. "Though we have been given time to regroup and plan, and even though Mukuro-kun has a sharp tongue and a way with words, I doubt that will buy him enough time for us to save him if we don't have anything planned."<p>

The group was now sitting in the middle of all the clutter, technically at a stalemate unless Daemon showed himself or they made a move. The problem was, they had no idea where the three were and that hindered them from making any progress. "I d-don't know! I didn't exactly want this job! I don't want this job!" Tsuna cried, unhappy.

Gokudera glared at Byakuran. "Shut your filth trap, you stupid ghost! Boss is just under a lot of stress what with all you idiots running around doing jack shit about anything!" He growled. He calmed down a bit and closed his eyes. "Weren't you talking about how to be rid of ghosts earlier?" he asked Dino.

"Yeah?" He asked, rubbing his eyes a bit. "Though it's usually easy to be rid of lingering entities, Daemon poses as a whole new threat altogether," he sighed and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Something is keeping him here on earth, something that has left him angry and scornful. I doubt asking him to leave nicely would be of any worth."

"Obviously," Hibarin cut in. "And even if he were a friendly ghost, I would still bite him to death before letting him pass on," he growled, still very bitter about the turn of events. He was brimming with anger and hate towards both the ghost and Mukuro for two very different reasons. He stood up and turned, his cape snapping loudly behind him. "I'm going to scout the castle, do not do _anything_ until I say you are allowed to do so." With that, he left the remaining others to sit and plot.

Gokudera raised his middle finger at Hibarin's retreating form "what and asshole!" and turned his attention back to the group, sighing. "I hate to admit it though, that jackass vampire is our best asset at the moment, seeing as he's possibly the strongest of all of us," he said begrudgingly. "We're going to have to include him in the plans, whether or not we want to."

"Byakuran, do you know anything about Daemon?" Dino asked.

The ghost nodded. "Only very little," he replied. "But from what I can remember, he was… a much more tolerable man when we were alive."

"Something must have happened to him then," Yamamoto interjected, for once serious. "I mean, you two were in a war right? Maybe someone special to him died or something."

Byakuran nodded. "Possible… I remember… He was always carrying this locket around with him," he commented. "It was a little gold locket and he never went anywhere without it" he rubbed his chin in thought and nodded. "I think we need to find that locket to get answers."

"Do you know where it is?" Kakipi asked. "If it was on him at all times, wouldn't that mean it's still with him now?"

"Way to go and destroy all hope, Kakipi pyon!" Ken roared at his friend.

The ghost shook his head. "No, I think Daemon has hidden that locket somewhere within the walls of this castle." Byakuran nodded to himself and then to the others. "I think we have to split up and find this locket to get any clues."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh man, how long has it been?<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

Hibarin's eye ticked. He specifically said not to move until he's given them permission to do so but he returns to an empty room covered in dust and debris. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to calm himself down but it was doing very little as the sounds of muted footsteps echoed in his castle. He spun around and walked briskly down his halls, peeking into every room he passed in search of the herbivores running freely through his castle.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing," he snarled at Byakuran whom was supervising Yamamoto and Gokudera as the tore the room apart in search of something that was most probably not there. "You are destroying this room," he growled when none of them paid him any heed. He brought out his tonfas and brandished them, stepping into the room with his fangs bared. "I said," he said loudly, smacking Yamamoto away from a priceless painting (not that he particularly cared of it's worth but it was HIS) "You are destroying this room."

Yamamoto laughed, as did Byakuran much to Hibarin's chagrin, and stood up, picking up his arm that had fallen off when Hibarin hit him. "Ahahaha! Sorry about that! I guess I got carried away!"

"What the fuck is your problem?" Gokudera shouted at him.

Hibarin stuck the end of his tonfa under the bomber's chin. "You are my problem," he replied icily, shoving the shorter male away from him. He hid his tonfas away again and glared at the three. "Explain" he said briefly.

Byakuran hovered beside him, putting an intangible arm around the vampire's shoulders before it passed through. "Oh phooie! I keep forgetting I'm a ghost!" he laughed again but smiled when Hibarin's scowl deepened. "We are looking for something that will aid us in sending Daemon to whence he came," he explained. "I might as well tell you what it is, but I'm not sure you're going to help us look for it anyway."

"What is it?" He asked, scowl never leaving.

"A locket," Byakuran explained. "A little gold locket with tiny fleurs-de-lis decorating its edges… if my memory serves to be correct, that is."

"Meaning to say you sent these idiots on a lid goose chase," Hibarin said. "You sent these idiots to tear down the walls of my already dilapidated castle to look for a tiny locket that may or ma not exsist?" His eye twitched slightly in irritation. "What say you, ghost."

"It's not a wild goose chase," Byakuran said with a frown before tapping his finger lightly against Hibarin's nose. "It is real and our only viable option left to safe Muku-chan," he elaborated. "And don't worry! I'll make sure that these two don't cause any more trouble!"

Hibarin nodded after a few seconds of silence then walked out with a small click of his tongue.

He continued walking around his castle, several times berating the people inside for putting his things in disarray. He almost reached the last straw until he heard the few quiet notes of the piano that resided in his study. Practically kicking the door open, he was greeted by the sight of the Cavallone priest, standing by the piano and pressing a few keys in pensive thought. Hibarin walked up to him, staring at the dazed look on the blonds face. "Cavallone."

That seemed to snap Dino out of whatever trance it was that he was in and he smiled at the Vampire. "Kyouya," he nodded.

"You seem out of it," Hibarin stated.

"It's… Well, I've been thinking about a lot of things… things that I'd rather not think about," he murmured, still pressing piano keys idly. "Ever since that Mukuro friend of yours dropped by," he added.

Hibarin didn't say anything but listened.

"Does he have a family?" Dino asked, a sad look on his face. "He kind of looked like he doesn't…"

Hibarin shook his head no. "His mother passed away when he was young."

"It's kids like him," Dino started, his hand curling into a fist in insidious anger, "that made me want to become who I am today and yet…. I didn't even know him until a few hours or so ago… There are still so many people out there that my family promised to protect and take care of… So many people lied to and here I am thinking that I was better than my father but…" He pounded his fist against the piano and it creaked in despair. "But I-"

"Shut up," Hibarin intervened. "You are an ignorant fool," he stated quietly. Dino stayed quiet, his figure slightly shaking in self loathing and hatred directed at his father. "But you are not like your father."

"Kyouya…"

"Where as your father turned a deaf ear to those who needed his help, you were simply oblivious of what was truly happening around you," he explicated. "But you're here now, trying to do something and that is what makes you an extremely different man from your father. You no longer have to associate yourself with that man. You ran away from that life, so you should stop lingering on the past."

Dino hugged Hibarin, not caring for the consequences his actions will elicit, and almost sobbed. "Kyouya… I…. Thank you," he whispered. "_Thank you._"

The vampire let the blond hug him for a few more seconds before roughly shoving him away. "I merely stated what I thought was obvious," he sat down on the piano stool and folded his arms over his chest. "I swear, if you are going to cry, I'll-"

Dino had pulled open the top of the upright piano, letting the lid fall to the floor with a noisy clatter. He peered inside and stuck his hand in to rummage about. "There was something wrong one note," he told Hibarin and stood on his tiptoes so he could reach deeper. "Something must be jammed in there."

"Now is not the time for such trivial matters," the vampire replied. "It could be a dead rat for all I care."

"Gross, Kyouya," Dino responded with a small frown. "Besides, if it was a dead rat, I'm sure I'd smell its carcass," he gaged a little at the thought. "You know how much I hate rats." Hibarin shrugged nonchalantly.

Finally, Dino grabbed a hold of something and pulled it out. It was small and covered in grime. Reaching into his pocket for his handkerchief, he pulled it out and wiped the grime away to reveal a tiny locket and he stared at it. The vampire was now very interested in what was in his hands and stared anxiously at the locket and silently urged Dino to carry on with what he was doing. Setting aside his now ruined handkerchief, Dino pulled the two metal pieces apart as Hibarin stood up to stand beside him and peer at the contents of the locket.

There was a gold ring inside and Dino picked it up to stare at it. "This is…" He looked at the picture that was inside in shock. "That woman…"

Hibarin took the ring gingerly away from Dino and peered at it as he held it against the moonlight. There were engravings along its circumference and he frowned. "Do you know that woman?" He asked quietly as Dino continued to stare at the picture.

Dino nodded slowly. "I've seen her before," he replied, trying to recall where he had seen her face. He tried to remember all the photo albums that his family managed to scavenge after a horrible accident that had happened on their land years and years ago. He remembered his great grandfather telling him stories about his sibling when they were still alive and something clicked in his head.

"This woman is Princess Elena," he told Hibarin, closing the locket carefully. "Princess Elena Cavallone, the would-be heir of the Cavallone fortune if it weren't for her untimely death."

* * *

><p>For a split second, Mukuro thought he saw a look of kindness in Daemon's eyes. Of course, he may have been imagining it; he wasn't quite sure. Perhaps his tea was drugged? He forgot that he should never accept drinks from strangers. "Do you…" he started a little awkwardly, "want to talk about that…?" Was he really going to hold a proper conversation with this man? He wasn't sure anymore.<p>

Daemon must have been thinking the same things, and snapped himself out of his wistful trance. "No, nufufufu, I wouldn't want you weedling your way into my personal bubble, despite the fact I'm doing so to yours," he laughed at the scowl he was given. "That aside, will you or will you not join me?"

"Can't you give a man time to think?" Mukuro mused out loud, his fingers tracing the lip of his teacup. "Rome was not made in one day, so to say; if that saying even makes sense in this situation," he pursed his lips in thought. "What will be of Chrome if I do decide to join you?" If he was going to make any life changing situations, Chrome was always his priority.

"I still find it difficult to believe that you care so much for that weak little girl," Daemon laughed again but there was a sort of gentleness to it that Mukuro was doubting. "Well, she can be a proxy when you are unavailable-"

"Not happening," Mukuro intervened.

"You drive a hard bargain, Rokudo," he laughed again, amused.

"The price of freedom is steep," he replied, a small frown upon his features.

"As I said, I will give you your free will if you join me without me having to force you," Daemon retaliated. "This I swear on my soul."

Mukuro let out a small laugh. "Kufufufu, free will you say? But there is a catch. I find that far from anything that I should consider free," he crossed one leg over the other. "I will be willing to join you if you hereby swear that my darling Chrome will not be subjected to your scheming, nor will she be put in harms way" he stated firmly.

"Your concern for that girl is a force to be trifled with," Daemon laughed again. Such an amusing boy, he thought. Charming and quirky; he supposed he saw a little bit of himself in Mukuro. Probably why he's even giving the boy a choice to begin with. "Very well, I will make sure that she will never be put under danger," he stated. "Is there more to this or is that all?"

"You'd have to be a fool to think that's all I've got," Mukuro rebuked. "Hibarin," his smile softened a tad bit, "will not go down without a fight." He was sure of it. The vampire was prideful and strong and he doubted that he'd give up a fight, even if it were not necessary. Especially since something he held dear was on the line.

It made him think, though: was he really someone that Hibarin cared for? Who knows what vampires think. It make have all been a ploy to begin with; an elaborate plan that Hibarin thought of from the very start. It wasn't an impossible idea, Hibarin was still a vampire and he needed to do what he could to get nourishment. He shook the thought away. It wasn't the time to doubt what they have. What he needed to do, was either buy himself some time or somehow trick Daemon. It was going to be a tedious task, but it was all he could do.

"I don't know what that boy has done to capture your heart," Daemon said grinning as a slight pink colored Mukuro's face. "But I am well aware of how stubborn that vampire can be. What do you propose I do? I am assuming that you only want the best for him as well."

"Though you so blatantly say that, yes. All I wish is for him to be left in peace. Before I even came here to intervene with his village terrorizing shenanigans, he was getting by fairly well. However, I doubt that he will back down from a fight with you," Mukuro elaborated, sighing slightly afterwards. What was he going to do with Hibarin? He seriously doubted that the vampire would succumb to Mukuro's wishes, even if said wishes were in his best interest.

"Are you proposing I let myself lose to someone like him?" Daemon asked incredulously and slightly amused.

"What do you take him for, a fool?" the tamer countered. "He'd see right through that ploy and not only will he maim you, but me as well," he joked.

Daemon took on a more serious look. "You seem to have put a lot of faith into that boy," he commented bluntly. "Is this the passionate throes of young love or are you actually, _genuinely, _concerned for him? For you see, it strikes me as odd that a normal human being such as yourself would presumably fall in love with someone who could so easily kill you." It perturbed him, to be honest, and if there was one thing that was as powerful as his penchant for vengeance, it was his curiosity.

"I've been odd ever since the day I was born," the tamer replied. "It doesn't concern you."

"Fair enough." He finally relented, leaning back on his chair. "So what is it that you want for the vampire? You aren't making this easy."

"I want you to let him forget any of this ever happened."


	17. Announcement!

Heads up, I'm typing up a few chapters right now! Expect an update in a few days!


	18. Chapter 17

They had gathered in the same place where the fight had taken place, the group in small circle around a fire that they had made with the broken pieces of wood. Hibarin was glaring at everyone in resentment because _how dare they burn things that belonged to him _but he was kept mollified by the fact that they now had a clue to what they had to do. It sounded like a tedious task to him, to be honest, because why would he even try to reason with the likes of Daemon Spade? The asshole kidnapped _HIS_ tamer and caused all this havoc in his undead life when all he wanted was peace and quiet.

It was also a little bit humiliating that he was thinking of living happily ever after with Mukuro (and maybe the girl that looked like him if Mukuro wanted her to stay) and the knowing grin on Byakuran's lips made the tips of his ears grow hot with embarrassment and he set his face to a scowl. That ghost knew too much.

Speaking of the girl, the dog had found her in one of the study rooms, sound asleep as if without a care in the world. When she had come to, she couldn't really remember much aside from the smell of warm tea and the feeling of the sun on her frail body. It was a peculiar thing to say, and most of them brushed it off as a weird dream that she had had. Though the pensive look that had encompassed Byakuran's face told him otherwise. However, he did not want to converse with the ghost just yet, as he was too busy brooding and thinking of his own plans. He did not need these herbivores to slow them down, though he did not deny the fact that they would be of some use to him.

Dino held the little locket before all of them and told them of his great grandmother who was apparently a princess of sorts. Though the picture was old and wrinkled and a little faded, the woman on it definitely was very pretty and Hibarin imagined her to have the same golden locks that the priest held. "I remember it now," he said, passing the little locket around "my mother told me this story when I was young; kind of a tragic love story to be honest."

The locket was passed around and Hibarin refused it when it was offered to him.

"Elena and Daemon were engaged, to be wed at the very church that I serve at now," he said.

"Why here, though?" asked Gokudera as he eyed the locket. "I don't mean to degrade that church but it's really old and whatnot and they're kind of both from rich families, are they not?" he handed the locket to Tsuna and Dino nodded. "So why have a wedding in an old church at a rundown town?"

"The church didn't look that bad," Tsuna commented offhandedly, to which Gokudera excitedly agreed to.

"Well, Elena was a humble person, and this town as rundown as it seems, was the first place she met Daemon and the place they fell in love," he replied with an almost fond look on his face. "I guess the two of them were romantics, seeing as even though both familes wanted a more extravagant wedding, they insisted that they be wed there." He let out a little laugh and inched closer to the fire. "War broke out, unfortunately, against a mafia family that was against the union of the Cavallone and the Spades," he said glumly, "because with an alliance of two strong families like that, it was going to be a threat to the underground exchanges."

"Why a threat?" Kakipii asked with an unhappy look. "Mafia is mafia, shouldn't they be working together?"

Dino sighed. "That's not exactly the case. The Cavallones and the Spades had a strong sense of justice and they planned to make sure that there was peace. The word of their union spread faster than the black plaque and soon, the two families were acquainted with the Vongola Famiglia. They met Primo, a man who grew up to become something great and he had the same goals as them and wished to form an alliance as well."

"Now three of the most powerful families of that time… Yeah, that pretty much caused the chaos and," he sighed. "It caused the death of many people, the Princess being one of those who fell."

"Oh," Chrome gasped quietly. "What happened then…?

"Revenge," Hibarin answered before Dino could.

"Revenge on Primo," Dino added.

"Why on Primo!?" Tsuna asked, shock painting his features. "Wasn't he an ally? Wasn't he their friend?"

"Daemon deluded himself. Primo was there the time she passed away and he did all he could to protect her in vain. Daemon put the blame on him and that's what happened." Dino said with a sigh and threw another piece of a broken chair into the fire.

Hibarin gave the priest a look of disdain. He was far from materialistic but if any more of his furniture were to be ruined, his home would be more empty than it already was. Though Dino gave him an apologetic look, he wasn't forgiving the man for it.

"So we have the reasons," Yamamoto said, interrupting everyone's train of thoughts. "So what now? If he's trying to hurt Primo, isn't it already too late? The worst he can do is deface his grave or something." He rubbed his chin in genuine thought.

Gokudera growled in annoyance, slapping his hand across the back of Yamamoto's head. "Are you stupid? If he's a vengeful ghost and has been here for THAT long, its obvious that he's trying to get revenge on Primo's famiglia and its descendants. A.K.A. US YOU STUPID BASEBALL FREAK!"

That whack to the head sent Yamamoto's head flying and falling into the arms of Chrome. She didn't scream like Ken thought she would. Instead she held it very carefully in her arms as Yamamoto smiled back up at her. "Hello!" he greeted as cheerfully as he usually would. "Do you mind putting me back?"

Chrome nodded and stood up, walking over to Yamamoto's body to attach his head once more. She took a bit of the bandages that was wrapped around her arm and used it to secure the zombie's head to his body. She smiled at him gently when he thanked her and took her seat next to Hibarin. As the others continued to discuss what they should do, she tugged lightly at the vampire's sleeve. "H-hibarin-san. . ."

"What do you want," he sneered silently, not wanting to draw the attention to them. He didn't like the girl but he didn't exactly hate her either, but it was because of her that they're in the trouble that they're in. He agreed with Ken, in the sense that he though she was a little useless as well, but that was hardly important now. What's done is done and all they can do now is to mend the problem before it can get any worse.

The girl looked down at her lap, trying to form the right sentences in her mind before actually speaking. "I know that, maybe, you're upset with me, because I can't even protect myself properly," she started, looking and feeling a bit guilty. "I try to tell Mukuro-sama that I'll be fine, b-because I can't die anyway," she mumbled and twiddled her fingers anxiously. "But he can't leave me alone… He says that I'm the only family he's got anymore, and that's why…"

"I don't see why you're rambling on about this to me," Hibarin said rather coldly, but he didn't intend for it to sound cold. "It's obvious enough that he cares for you." He wasn't jealous.

"U-uhm, that is—I'm telling you this because I think that, maybe but I'm not sure, he feels just as strongly, or even more so, towards you. You, uh, make him happy in ways that I can't and its… Just really nice to see him genuinely smiling again," She looked up at him, a new sense of determination lighting up her face. "And that is why I want to be useful this time. Don't leave me out of the plans just because I look weak. I'm not weak, I've been protecting myself even before I met Mukuro-sama." She looked at him, right at his eyes to show him she would not back down. "I want him to be happy, and he is when he's with you!"

That made Hibarin blush in slight embarrassment and he cleared his throat as he tried to think of the proper response. "You are weak," he states as a matter of fact, "but you are braver than the bravest man to ever have faced me," he added. "I do not exactly know how you can be of use, but step in if you must, if you think it's the right course of action to take," he instructed her. "So long as you don't get in my way, I wont kill you."

She smiled at him, feeling that she could trust someone other than Mukuro and their little group. "Y-yes!"

Byakuran, who was listening in on the conversation without making himself noticed, grinned.

Chrome stood up then, the indigo ring on her finger suddenly bursting into a bright and colorful flame that lit the room better than the campfire they had started. Though she was shocked, just as everyone, with how bright her flames were, it did not deter her from continuing her plan; the plan being to locate Mukuro as soon as they possibly could. As she was instructed earlier that night, she forced the flames into the box, summoning her box animal. The owl hooted importantly, sitting upon her head before dropping the familiar magnifying glass into the palm of her awaiting hand.

"What form of trickery is this, girl?" Hibarin demanded, having stood up the moment her will power had transformed into her flames. He stared at her, her determined look, and furrowed his brow. "What are you planning?"

"You are much stronger than I anticipated you to be," Byakuran stated with a smile on his face. He was growing rather fond of the girl, and he could see now why Mukuro was so intent on protecting her. She was like a precious gem, small and beautiful, but at the same time just as hard and strong as a diamond; certainly a force to be trifled with, especially if she had the proper training. He hovered around her curiously as she scanned the room with her magnifying glass. "I can't wait to see what you can do."

Seeing her like that sparked some sort of inspiration in Ken, which resulted in his own ring bursting into a bright yellow flame. He stood by her, not really knowing what to do but wanting to be of as much help as he could manage. "Stupid girl," he stated, that teasing name more like a fond nickname, "I'll help you."

Kakipi would have laughed at the sight but it would have sounded something like two rocks grinding together so he chose to stay quiet.

Ryohei, who had been asleep for the most part, continued to stay asleep. Lambo was sleeping rather peacefully atop his head, much to the dismay of Gokudera who continued to think of them as useless.

Chrome had found something that looked out of place, but it was so tiny that she couldn't be sure if it was real or not. Approaching the corner of the room, she crouched down in front of an old grandfather clock and knocked on it a few times. There was something there, or at least, there was something odd about the clock but she just couldn't quite say what it was.

Ken stood beside her still, peering at the clock like there was something wrong with it. There had to be something wrong with it if Chrome was inspecting it so thoroughly. He was never really good with using his head, so he thought of the best thing he could do: he pulled the clock forward, without so much as a forewarning for Chrome as she squeaked in shock and stumbled back. He thought she'd be able to inspect the back of it as well this way. He was helping.

"Thank you," Chrome said quietly, and realized that it wasn't the clock that was odd. There, behind the old clock, was a small door, neatly hidden away behind the wallpaper. "Everyone!" She called, and Ken took this as a cue to push the clock away from the door to give them more room. "I think we have to go in there," she stated, pointing at the very suspicious looking door.

Hibarin was actually shocked; he knew the castle like the back of his hand, but he was never aware of that door's presence before. Had he overlooked it? He most probably did. There wasn't a need to go snooping around his castle before all of this started happening.

Gokudera approached the door and crouched next to Chrome. With his sharp claws, he tore off the wallpaper that covered the door and tried pulling it open. To his discovery, the door was locked. Typical. Still, locked doors were never really a problem for him. With the nail of his index finger, he stuck it into the keyhole, twisting and turning like he's picked a door before. And he has, mind you. After a few calculated twists, a click was heard and the door pulled open easily. Gokudera grinned at Tsuna, who looked very much impressed.

"It's too small," Kakipi commented upon closer inspection. "Too small for a person, at least."

Ken raised his fist, the flames of his ring illuminating the inside of the door. However, it seemed to go on and on, into something that seemed like an everlasting darkness.

They all shivered at the sight.

"There's something there," Chrome said. "Something important."

Byakuran gave a shot at going in, but was repelled back by an unseen force, sending him zooming across the room and through the opposite wall. After a few seconds he phased back into the room with everyone else. "Ow," he stated unhappily.

"What happened?" Dino asked, concerned.

Byakuran hummed in thought, carefully placing his hand over the door. As he expected, an invisible force kept him from going any further. "There is something that is preventing me from continuing," he stated thoughtfully. "I'm not too sure why."

Dino looked on curiously and thought he'd try it himself. "Maybe it's because you're a ghos-ow!" Dino yelped, the moment his hand came within reach of the door, he felt something akin to an electric shock. He shook his hand, trying to rid it of the tingly feeling, as Gokudera and Hibarin tried their best not to laugh. "Okay, I wonder why that's happening."

Chrome tried it, carefully, and found that her hand was perfectly fine. "But why..?"

"Perhaps it is because you are of the Vongola linage," Byakuran offered, his chin resting atop his knuckles.

"That would explain why I could go near it," Gokudera said with an understanding nod. He snapped his head to the left, where Ryohei and Lambo were sleeping. "Oi! You stupid cow!" he called, waking up the young child. "Wake up and be useful for once!"

Lambo scrambled off of Ryohei's head and approached the door curiously. He peered inside it and a scared look encompassed his face and he immediately scurried into Tsuna's arms. "Lambo-sama doesn't want to go in there!" he wailed, doing his best to hide within the brunet's arms. "There might be a monster in there!"

"But we ARE monsters," Kakipi said, but no one heard him.

"Shut up, you stupid cow! Just get in there and see what's up!" Gokudera exclaimed.

Tsuna shook his head, cradling the young one in his arms protectively. "You don't have to, if you're scared Lambo-kun."

"Lambo-sama," Lambo corrected tearfully.

Gokudera rolled his eyes.

"I have an idea!" Yamamoto pipped in suddenly. "Everyone, please move out of the way!"

Yamamoto rarely had any bright ideas but since no one could come up with anything at the moment, they stepped aside as instructed.

Yamamoto pulled his head off, much to Dino's shock, and held it in his hands in a way that looked similar to a baseball player's stance.

"O-oi," Gokudera said rather nervously. "What are you doin—"

Before Gokudera could even finish his statement, Yamamoto threw his head into the door. Yet again, he had performed the perfect pitch, even thought it was a ground ball at most.

Everybody winced as they heard Yamamoto yelp in pain, a few thuds echoing from the door as his head rolled in deeper and deeper. "It's really dark in here!" the zombie called when he finally came to a stop. His voice echoed upon his call and he belatedly realized that he wasn't in a small cramped room like they were expecting, but a rather big room that seemed barren of any other exits or entrances aside from the one he just came in.

"You fucking idiot!" Gokuder yelled into the door. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!?"

"What an idiot," Hibarin agreed.

"Haha! I guess I didn't really think things through," Yamamoto replied amiably, like there was nothing wrong. "Hold on, I want to look around in here!"

Gokudera bristled in annoyance, once more screaming into the dark. "How the hell'er you supposed to look around when you can't fucking see?!" Sometimes he was amazed as to how stupid that baseball idiot could be. Still, that didn't stop him from being the slightest bit worried; after all, how were they supposed to get that idiot out now? Probably a rope if they could find one.

A blue light suddenly bursting from behind him interrupted his thoughts, and he saw that Yamamoto's headless body had put on the ring. The zombie's body approached the door, bumping into a few people along the way, before it crouched down beside Gokudera. It pulled it's arm off and the arm with the ring started crawling through the narrow space, making it's way to his head.

"I can see now," Yamamoto called. "The room is pretty big!" Though he could see, there wasn't really much that he could do besides look. "Can you guys send the rest of my body in here so I can search?"

"Ugh," Gokudera complained, going out of the room shortly only to come back with a rope. He pulled the zombie's other arm off and tied the rope around it. "Go get in there and loop it around something," he instructed the arm, thought it didn't really understand him.

After a long and grievous moment (Dino had fainted after Yamamoto's body was literally torn apart), Yamamoto was standing in the room, his limbs back in place like nothing wrong had happened. The ring on his finger burned blue and he raised it high above his head to get a better look of the room; it was roughly the size of a small bedroom and the only thing in it was an old chest. He crouched down, pulling the chest open and found several interesting things. Old dresses and dusty jewels, notebooks and journals with the paper so old that it crumbled if not carefully held, a brush and several other things. He had come to the conclusion that this had belonged to a woman, and probably a very rich one at that.

Something caught his eye however, and he reached over and plucked the small thing from its place. It was a small music box by the looks of it, though try as he might he couldn't get it open.

"What's going on in there!?" Gokudera called.

"I found some things!" Yamamoto replied. "Give me a minute!"

Yamamoto turned his attention back to the items at hand. He picked up a very old looking photo album and pulled it open, finding that the pictures held the image of the lady in the locket, Princess Elena. He browsed through it, finding that along with her was none other than Daemon Spade. "I'm sending something to you guys!" He called, pulling his arm off again and then tied the photo album to it. The arm crawled away, leaving Yamamoto to explore the contents of the chest more.

Gokudera grabbed hold of the arm, taking the photo album from it before handing it over to Dino (who had thankfully recovered). Gokudera gave the arm a few pats, as if saying it did a good job, before sending it back to join the rest of it's body.

Dino looked through the photo album with Tsuna and Hibarin at his side. The rest of the group gathered around as well, except for Gokudera who kept watch over the door in case Yamamoto sent something else out.

"That's Daemon," Chrome whispered, shocked with what she saw. "He looks… Happy."

"Everyone looks happy," Tsuna commented as they continued to browse the album. "Hey, is that the Primo?" he asked, pointing to a faded picture of someone who looked oddly like him.

"I believe so," Dino nodded, turning to the next page. The next photo was that of the three of them, Primo, Elena and Spade. They had bright smiles on their faces as they shared a pot of tea, smiling at the camera without a care in the world. They looked so young and carefree, and Dino had come to the conclusion that this was before everything went wrong.

"Wait," Hibari said, before Dino could turn the page. He took the album from Dino's hands and placed it on his lap. Very carefully, he tried to slide the photo out of its place and as he expected, there was a note hidden behind it, and a short message written on the back of the photo.

"_How I long for these days once more_," Byakuran read out loud over Hibarin's shoulder. "Neh, Hiba-chan, what's the note say?"

"Don't call me that," he grumbled, before handing the note over to Dino.

Meanwhile, Yamamoto searched and read through the notebooks and journals; they all belonged to Elena, he noted, and he didn't read much of it because he felt like it would be rude to invade personal thoughts. He set those aside carefully along with the dresses, digging through the chest until he found a box that looked a lot like the boxes that they all had. It looked a lot like Chrome's box, and he wondered why that was so. Still, he thought that it would be rather important so he kept it in his pocket along with the music box he found. After coordinating with Gokudera once more, he was back with the group, again, like nothing wrong happened.

Begrudgingly, Gokudera gave him precisely two pats on the back. He didn't say why though but Yamamoto assumed it was his way of telling him he did a good job. He smiled.

"I found these," he said, handing over the music box to Dino and the indigo box he found to Chrome. "Maybe you can open it too?"

Chrome nodded, her ring still alight with her flame. She tried opening it, as she had done previously with her own box, but nothing happened. She looked at the box, puzzled, wondering why it wasn't responding.

"It's not yours," Byakuran told her.

"These aren't exactly ours either," Kakipi countered. "She opened her box just fine."

"Because she is the new owner," Byakuran said, inspecting the box. "This one still has an owner."

"I think we should hold onto that for now," Dino said, nodding his head once at Chrome. He turned his attention to Yamamoto. "What else did you find?"

"A few journals, dresses… Other things. Though they didn't seem like they were important so I left them," he said, scratching his chin in thought.

"Why the music box?" Tsuna asked, looking at the music box that Dino held.

Yamamoto shrugged indifferently. "It… Felt like it was important."

"I think you're right," Dino nodded carefully, the music box in one hand and the note in his other. "I think we're getting closer to the truth now."

Tsuna hoped he was right. He didn't want to fight anymore and did he want his friends to be in danger. He was thankful at the pace they were going at but it did little to ease his nerves. After all, Mukuro was still missing in action, as was Daemon, and he could only imagine how horrible it would be if Daemon were to posses his friend. Though Mukuro didn't have powers nor did he have the power of the Vongola candy that Reborn was in possession of, he was strong both physically and mentally. But, he was still human up against a very vengeful ghost.

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><p><strong>An:**

**Here u go friends, im already starting the next chapter haha**


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